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Intense Desire which the

Alchemists called Sulphur

Carl Jung devoted three volumes of They believed that their effort to become
discourse to the practical and theoretical conscious was an offering to the divine,

discipline known as Alchemy. He a sacred and holy task which required
discovered in Alchemy a parallel to dedication and self-honesty. This is the
his initial work with patients at the same as psychological spirituality which

Burgholzli Mental Hospital in Zurich. The is about becoming conscious of our many
Alchemical texts became a major part of selves. They knew that consistent and

his work termed analytical psychology. sometimes grueling work is required; for
them and us, it begins with shadow work.
To learn Alchemy, one studied with a It takes a strong and enduring ego to face

master who was also an Astrologer, as the our own unconscious which is often a
two were never separate. The symbols, the daunting undertaking not always easy

elements, the transits (timing) were all a to do. Responsibility and moral integrity
part of what they called “The Work.” Most take time to develop. We only do this in
do not know this, but our astrology is not incremental stages as we learn to be self-

a static set of characteristics. The birth reflective. No one does it overnight.
chart shows our development as a process.

Jung called this process individuation The Alchemists also famously said,
which is getting to know who we are. “Our gold is not the common gold,” so
The transits, which is where the planets it was never about turning lead into

are currently in relationship to our birth physical gold. Alchemy was couched in
chart mathematically, are a psychological some very unusual and graphic terms

description of our continuing emotional to hide what they were doing because it
and spiritual evolution. We are always in was considered heretical by the church.
the process of becoming who we came The reason why it was considered

here to be. It takes a lifetime of work to a heresy is excellently described
know our whole self. in the book, The Dynamics of the

Unconscious, a seminar presented and
This work was considered to be the written by Liz Greene and Howard
Opus for the Alchemists. They called Sasportas. I highly recommend the

it “the great art” in medieval Europe. chapter on Alchemy in their book.

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