Alchemy is the ancient art of transmutation, the act of changing one state of being into another form with the aim of transforming it to its highest potential. An alchemist speaks a language of relationships, of connection and correspondence, of cause and effect, that considers the whole embrace of our experience. The world they inhabit exists in relation to the heavens above, the stars, the planets and the wider cosmic forces that make up the universe.
The axiom ‘as above, so below’ describes the macro-microcosmic vision that is central to alchemical philosophy - that all universal phenomena correspond and relate to one another. To understand any component of reality is only possible through the context of its position and interactions with its environment. Alchemy looks at plants through an elemental and astrological lens to gain a greater understanding of the conditions that influence it. A rose does not exist in isolation; from seed to bloom it is in conversation with the elements of earth, air, fire and water that make up its physical reality. It is in communion with the cosmos, the cycle of the seasons, the sun that gives light for food, the moon that sets its rhythms, and the planets beyond. We see the mirroring of patterns and correspondences when we compare the movements and cycles of the planets with plants.
Communication with more-than human intelligence and energetic systems such as that of plants and planets, is critical to diffusing the myth of separation from nature and the cosmos. Exploring non-linear narratives, interspecies communication and the role of ritual gives birth to a portal to developing co-creative partnership and a new paradigm of repair, regeneration and collaborative world-building.
