Spiritual Alchemy Learning Center

Step 7. Cibation

"...there the Graces bathed her and anointed her with ambrosian oil such as is rubbed on deathless gods, divinely sweet, and made fragrant for her sake."

---From the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, where she is preparing for serious seduction using ambrosia, food of the gods.




Cibation is the addition of new material to the Stone. The sustenance develops a greater strength and consistency by saturating the substance with great nourishment. The stone is now growing. This stage is parallel to giving a baby a strong start in life by proper care and nourishment. A strong beginning is also considered to give a powerful life force, extending life beyond the normal span if desired.

Up until this time, the expression has been "nihil extraneum" meaning "nothing from the outside." Alchemists, however, have been known to cheat at this in order to attain certain colors in the prior stages. Some, for instance, will add gold at the fermentation stage in order to hasten the natural development using a form of sympathetic magic.

In sympathetic magic, the law is that like attracts like. By being exposed to qualities desired, the opportunity to experience the vibrations and repeat them in yourself (your stone) or attract them is given. Certain herbs, for instance, are thought to have vibrations similar to tranquility, activity, sleepiness, intelligence, and many other desirable qualities. That is why certain vibrations are sought through these herbs for spells by practitioners. A practical example of this is found in scientific studies. People learning to play a sport perform better after observing a very strong athlete play, then if they have not.

Common ingredients known to be added to the vessel at this state are milk, honey, celandine and even blood. Blood represents the Alchemists life force, giving life-energy to the Stone. Honey stands for the sweetness of life and helps preserve materials. Years ago it was valued to preserve dead bodies preventing putrefaction. Celandine is known for its properties of clear sight. Celandine is thought to be added in order to prevent the sweetness of life (honey) from changing into a deadly poison. This, in my opinion, is to prevent an overly strong attachment to life, the self as we perceive ourselves. This would prevent work on the other side because of clinging to the images we love. The Stone is nurtured for purity, stability, and desired qualities by the alchemist. With correct care, its ability to perform far more than its size would indicate will blossom.

The Stone is now united with its purified body and has reached the stage of being born a beautiful baby. The performance is that of a wonderful, talented child. The stone is not yet perfected, although it does have the beginning ability to transmute base metals to gold the way a yeast is place within the bread for its ability to permeate bread in order to make it rise.

Seventh Key. A woman holding scales in her right hand and a sword in her left, stands behind a large flask on the neck of which is "the Seal of Hermes". Inside the vessel is "Chaos" and within that a circle with the four seasons around a square marked "Salt of the Philosophers", inside of which a triangle is inscribed with "Water".

Who?

"If you meet the Buddha,

kill him."

Stunned, I stopped walking for a moment. I suddenly comprehended great meaning in that sentence. Normally I have just brush past that expression. I do not read the books with that title. There is no clue in my mind of who said this. Normally, I have several problems with that expression. It does not have intense meaning for me, because I am not a Buddhist. Furthermore, killing is a bit violent for my energy. The big part is, of course, that it seems rather silly to kill Buddha. Why would anyone wish to do this? What would be the result? What is buddha is like a great sumo wrestler?

Crazy Bear, an early teacher of mine, told me many years ago that I would be wearing a sand colored robe and my wings would extend up well past the rooftops. Still deep in thought, I looked at what I was wearing now. It was a softly flowing, cotton, sand colored gown with a painted angel on it. This was yet another moment he had told me about.

I now suddenly understand this ridiculous phrase. The key here is the expression does not mean specifically Buddha. It is about meeting the higher power. How would you kill your higher power? The key here is you must "MEET" your higher power. Buddha will not and cannot die. In meeting your higher power, you will change, never seeing yourself nor viewing your faith in the same way again. In a way, both the individual and Buddha will die but only according to the individual's perception.

This is not to say to not believe. Buddha is an image that is held. The person's individual higher power is a form that they view in a certain way. To get further on the path one must truly get beyond not only their idea of self-image but also how the higher power is viewed. This provides the non-attachment for the next step. I sat right next to my higher power, however, we have not yet truly MET.

---EvonneTheStoryteller
Slow walking.

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