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CONFERENCES ARCHIVES - The Alchemy Guild's previous conferences have been archived. For programs, lecturers, pictures, videos , and other information from past events, go to: http://www.AlchemyConference.net

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The EMERALD TABLET ROUNDTABLE is an internet discussion group devoted to understanding the ancient principles of Alchemy and Spagyrics. It also addresses the alchemy of mystical and paranormal events where individuals can openly discuss their personal experiences and share information and ideas about the meaning of them. To join, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmeraldTablet/

In This Issue:

• Announcements 
• From Readers
• Did You Know?
• Op Ed
• Wisdom of Humor

Spotlight On . . .

• New Books
• Lectures
• Classes
• Forums
• Alchemy Study
• Links

From Our Readers

THE ALCHEMICAL STEPS OF A PERSONAL LIFE CHANGE

Submitted by Laura Jay

I am in the stages of a major life change.....leaving a job of 24 years, selling a house I have occupied for 20 years and leaving the state I have lived in for over 27 years. It is a trinity of shifts! As I move through this deep unfolding, I relate my experience to the seven stages of alchemy happening in concert with each other.

The fires of Calcination are catalyzing this change. There is the initial breaking down of the existing patterns of my life in work and home, and with people I have known for many years.

The waters of Dissolution are flowing as much of what I have known related to old vestiges of ego and personality structures is a further breaking down. Any subconscious fears related to endings and change bubble up to be washed away.

The breaking down which is occurring during this Calcination and Dissolution is making way for my true self to be unfettered, to rediscover myself in new ways. I am allowing the Separation that isolates my true self from all the "selves" I have been these many years in this place.

My Conjunction is the reuniting of my Soul and Spirit in ways I have not experienced while being involved in this particular long pulse of my life, in some ways "locked in" in less than desirable ways. The experiences I am swiftly moving through are a reflection of the marriage of the King and Queen/Masculine and Feminine within self, as the thrust of my varied actions are merged with the receptivity of all that flows to me.

The Fermentation of this unfolding is the letting go of the hidden impurities in my being as relates to attachments and security and I can feel the reanimation of my essence as the purification is in process.

Distillation proceeds as I move to and from the divine aspects of what I am co-creating in the macro sense of my life.....I separate out that which is no longer needed and recombine in new ways within, all the while merging this higher spiritual process with my human aspects of self in the micro of all that is being crafted and manifested.

My Coagulation is unfolding....I will be reborn as “The Phoenix,“ in the next higher octave of rebirth, having purified myself of aspects tied to all I am releasing, my true essence shining through.

In this month of March, with the upcoming Spring Equinox and all that portends with cycles and new energetic frequencies, I have my own inner Equinox ~ of balance, of regeneration and of rebirth.

Did You Know?

OIL OF GOLD AND THREE KINGS, ELIXIRS OF LIFE, Its HISTORY AND USES

by Karen Bartlett

Gold--it has captivated mankind for centuries. The Egyptians built Temples and Palaces of Gold. Wars were fought for the possession of it. Many things are attached to it, the basest of which is Riches and Material Treasures. Gold has been held in the highest esteem both spiritually and materially throughout the Ages.

Thieves have sought to steal it; Kings have thought to hoard it. Even Dragons are attracted to the glittering metal. And yet it is the softest of metals, easily bending and yielding, unlike strong steel to forge weapons.

In the chakras it is associated with the Solar Plexus. In the Tree of Life it is Tiphareth, the Sun or Son of God. This is also the Sphere of the Sun and associated with the Summerlands, Gwyladyrhaf in the Celtic Tradition, where the Souls of the Dead eventually go. It is also the Land of Fairy. To the Christians it would be Heaven. In all legends it represents Perfection, the Union of Heaven and Earth, where the Higher and the Lower spheres conjoin.

Ancient Alchemists believed potable gold would cure all known diseases and confer immortality. Such was its power. The Egyptians believed it built the Subtle Body, ensuring a strong presence in the Afterlife and bringing health and healing to the physical body. As gold was the Sun and the Sun was Ra, the person was infused with the Sun God, RA.

By the 17^th Century, Alchemy had given way to Chemistry, and yet medicines made from gold were still in vogue. It seems unlikely to most modern thinking that a metal could be any kind of a medicine. However, in India metallic medicines have been used for centuries, preparing ayurvedic medicines known as Bhasmas from metals and minerals.

Alchemy is believed to have originated in Ancient Egypt and was known as Khemia or the black arts, referring to the rich black soil of the Nile. The “Al” was added when it spread to the Arabias. A popular history of the spread of Alchemy can be found in Robert Allen Bartlett’s book, Real Alchemy, A Primer of Practical Alchemy, published by Ibis Press.

The amalgamation of gold powder by which saffron of gold or aurum fulmininans was made by pouring hydrochloric acid, water and oil of tartar onto thin plates of gold. It was then dried on paper by a gentle fire, which prevented it from exploding. Saffron of gold was said to drive out noxious humours and may have been given for smallpox and measles and to stop vomiting.

According to the RM Hillson MD Radcliff Infirmary in Oxford, England, in 1839 gold was still prescribed for promoting secretions and to strengthen the kidneys. Tetrachloride, teroxidiodide and tercyanide were used in the treatment of syphilis and also chronic skin diseases, as well as some tumours.

In the 20th Century it was used against Tuberculosis. Solutions of gold proved to inhibit the growth of tubercle bacilli in a culture of the disease.

In 1930 Forestier introduced gold treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in 1930. I recall when I was a kid, my cousin contracted rheumatoid arthritis at the tender age of ten. Doctors treated her with gold injections that were quite expensive.

One of the requirements of alchemical preparations is that the mineral or ore must be “living”, that is, natural ore coming from the earth. The gold has to be in its natural state to be “alive” to still contain the essential “spirit” or “soul” of the element. Paracelsus tells us, “The Sulphur of the metals is an oiliness extracted from the metals themselves, endowed with very many virtues for the health of man.”

To make the metals medicinal the gold has to be purified from all impurities through laboratory methods and the Sulphur of the gold extracted, the oiliness. This is what contains its medicinal properties. More recently there has been a resurgence of interest in gold as a medicine, a revival in the Ormus movement or monotomic gold. This type of medicinal gold is different from the spagyric metallic gold oil in that it uses the gold naturally occurring in certain substances in nature and is not spagyrically prepared in the alchemical way, which is to separate the three essentials of the mineral, herb, or ore and purifying and perfecting it to its highest vibrational and physical level. The gold is stripped of its impurities and only the Sulphur or Oil or “Soul” of the gold is extracted and used as a medicine.

Alchemical processes create a bridge between the kingdoms enabling the metals and minerals to be utilized by the body as a medicine that would otherwise be toxic. Although there have been no modern clinical trials, spiritual and energetic benefits have been reported after taking a few drops of gold oil every few days, such as the opening of the chakras, clarity of mind and thought, vitality and improved memory. Miraculous cures such as Hepatitis C, for which there is no known cure, have been reported, as well as myocardial infarction, and a remission of AML. Robert Bartlett named this elixir, ASEM-F. In his book, Real Alchemy, Robert Allen Bartlett talks about Oil of Gold:

“Oil of Gold is considered to be a medicine of the highest order. It strengthens circulation as a heart tonic. It is generally strengthening to all systems and is also a good blood purifier and regenerative. It is a true universal medicine often referred to as Potable Gold and highly prized from ancient times.

“Oil of Gold has been used successfully for treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, cancer, syphilis, uraemia and multiple sclerosis. Mentally it is good for a weak will and strengthens ambition, courage, vitality and creativity.

“The smallest amount of Oil of Gold will strengthen any other herbal or mineral salt.”

THREE KINGS

A particularly powerful elixir is mixing gold with frankincense and myrrh, referred to in the Bible as the Three Kings.

“Behold there came wise men from the East…they saw the young child with Mary his Mother, and fell down and worshipped him, and…presented unto him gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”

However, long before its biblical reference the elixir was considered sacred and prepared for use in ceremonies and medicines. Frankincense is a resin obtained from the sap of the Boswell tree. The highest qualities come from Arabic countries.

Between 2000 and 3000 BC the Sabaeans exported frankincense to Egypt and later to the Parthian and Roman empires. It was mainly burnt as an aromatic. The Nubians chewed it for sore mouths. In the sixth century Discords mixed frankincense with leek juice to stop bleeding. Culpepper also recommended it to stop bleeding and to heal ulcers.

Frankincense and myrrh have similar properties. The Yoga of Herbs on Ayurveda states that myrrh is one of the most famous and ancient substances used for preventing decay, reversing the aging process and rejuvenating body and mind. It works specifically on the blood and female reproductive system. It dispels old and stagnant blood from the uterus and aids in new tissue growth. Myrrh catalyses healing and stops pain. In addition myrrh also helps dispel repressed emotions.

This concludes my outline of the uses of the Gold Oil and the Three Kings Oil. This is meant for informational purposes only. I do not prescribe nor recommend ignoring the advice of a qualified Physician or Naturopathic doctor.

Op Ed

by Paulette Harris

Groundhog Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Originally, it was a celebration of the pagan holiday of Imbolc. According to Wikipedia, Imbolc or Imbolg, also called (Saint) Brighid’s Day in Ireland, is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of spring. It is the mid-point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Imbolc is the fire of calcination that burns away dross and impurities in preparation of the Great Work of alchemy that commences with the Spring Equinox. Whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow, there are only six more weeks of winter--spring in the northern hemisphere is returning!

Signs of earth’s awakening abound. Buds on shrubs beginning to appear; sightings of robins are reported; geese have begun their migrations, and there is more light upon waking in the mornings. These changes in nature can be seen through the naked eye but there is much more of life’s renewal occurring beneath the surface--a shift from quiet, solitary reflection to the stirrings of thought before action manifests. Spring is the renewal of life and an opportunity to expand, to stretch and grow, to reinvent the self. Spring is the bird rising from the flames of calcination.

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth. - Chinese Proverb

The Wisdom of Humor