MSN Home  |  My MSN  |  Hotmail
Sign in to Windows Live ID Web Search:   
go to MSNGroups 
Free Forum Hosting
 
Important Announcement Important Announcement
The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
Spiritual Alchemy Learning Center[email protected] 
  
What's New
  
  ï¿½? Welcome!  
  *·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´  
  ï¿½?0. Where you can find the truth!  
  ï¿½?1. Calcification  
  ï¿½? 2. Solution  
  ï¿½? 3. Separation  
  ï¿½? 4. Conjunction  
  ï¿½? 5. Putrefaction  
  ï¿½? 6. Coagulation  
  ï¿½? 7. Cibation  
  ï¿½? 8. Sublimation  
  ï¿½? 9. Fermentation  
  
  ï¿½? INRI and Fire  
  
  ï¿½? Saint-Germain  
  
  ï¿½? School  
  
  ï¿½? Senses  
  
  ï¿½? Touch  
  ï¿½? 10. Exaltation  
  ï¿½? 11. Multiplication  
  ï¿½? 12. Projection  
  ï¿½? 00. Summary  
  *·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´  
  ï¿½? Chat Information  
  ï¿½? Message Navigator  
  ï¿½? Networking Messageboard  
  ï¿½? People Search Tool  
  *·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´¯*·._.·´  
  ï¿½? Library A-L  
  ï¿½? Library M-Z  
  ï¿½? Library Links  
  ï¿½? Library Media  
  ï¿½? Library Periodicals  
  ï¿½? Library Reference  
  ï¿½? Language Tools  
  
  
  
  Tools  
 
 

Step 9.  Fermentation

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
-Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizen in a Republic", April 23, 1910

 

Fermentation is the conversion of substances into new compounds in the presence of a ferment.   Ferment also means a state of agitation or turbulent change or development.  Ferment is literally a substance that causes fermentation such as yeast, bacterium, mold, or enzyme, which changes the  material.   Organic substances are converted into new compounds by the addition of a ferment resulting in great change and the evolution of new properties.

Prior to this step, the material has been seperated and joined in a certain manner.  This special step includes fully combining of the soul to spirit and matter (or body).  The Stone's soul will be completely united with its already purified body. Matter is what appears to have form in this world.  In alchemy the spirit is an active presence in all of us striving toward perfection seeking material manifestation for expression in this world.  The soul in alchemy is considered a presence that is part of us that survives through all eternity.  It is the part of the original substance or first matter of the universe.  It is the One of the universe.     

In the process of fermentation, the very smallest parts of the substance are dissolved and changed.  This is necessary in order to raise the matter up.  Fermentation is joining the true life to the material, the soul. To ferment, the substance must be put into a slow digestive heat for a gestation period such as the warming of bread as the yeast slowly grows and permeates it.  The digestive component spreads throughout the material changing its entire form.  The dough no longer is dough, it becomes a beautifully prepared bread.  The juice from the material fruits is now fine wine with very special qualities.     

The stone cannot affect other metals until it possesses the qualities of goldness itself. At this stage some of the alchemists may add gold to hasten the Stone's development using sympathetic magic.   The material in the vessel turns finally turns yellow and then becomes gold.     The great magic is that once the soul is fully assimilated, the quality can be communicated to other bodies. The stone is still not yet perfected, but now it does possess the ability to transmute base metals changing the very world that the alchemist lives in. 

The affect on the alchemist is profound.  They are freed to experience a great presence and wisdom that is endless and timeless beyond expression.  With complete surrender to a new way of viewing existance and what might be termed non-existance.  Perhaps a better expression would be true existance.  A new outlook and identity are embraced.  Life is no longer what it appeard to be and the alchemist understands the many cycles of growth and development.  All that previously defined the alchemist has fallen away.  The unnecessary things that were clung to dissolve away because they have no purpose for being.    

 

 

 

Ninth Key. In a circle at the bottom are three hearts out of which three serpents or snakes emerge, their heads arching round as if to seize one anothers tail. On top of this circle are a man and woman their bodies bent so that together they point in the four directions with their head and feet. At the womans feet (South) is a Peacock, at her head (West) a Swan. At the man's feet (North) is a crow or black bird, and at his head (East) is a Eagle with wings outspread.