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Void is unfruitful energy. The alchemist must develop a sense of the value of time and space and the opportunity to manipulate both. Freedom is won by quest and conquest, but mainly by the conquest of the finite self. True mastery of the finite comes through the indrawing love, the compelling, almost magnetic heart call of the soul to its Divine Source.
Only the great inflow of the cosmic light of God can release the soul from the imprisoning shadows of its human creation. Summon, then, the purity of purpose which will make your creative design good; relentlessly challenge the base elements which arise like hobgoblins to disturb and try the plan you have begun; then patiently evolve your God-design - the purpose of your alchemical experiment.
The true science of the Spirit is more exact than mundane measures can yet determine. Therefore, know thy Self as the white stone or elixir from whence all thy creation must proceed in orderly fashion. If the key ideas are not created from within thee who art the alchemist, then the whole act is either hapless or an imitation of the work of another.
Now, if it be God thou wouldst imitate, then "Well done!" may truly be spoken of thee; but if the vanity of mankind, then piteous let thy consciousness remain. The True Self of man, from whence cometh every goodly design, is worthy to be consulted as to what it is desirable to create. Therefore, the true alchemist begins his experiment by communing with himself in order to perceive the inspiring thoughts of the radiant mind of his Creator.
It is in imitation of lesser qualities and lesser states of consciousness that society has molded many of its erroneous concepts. To correct these concepts, to forge an ennobling culture, to draw the lines of good character, man and society must look to lofty examples.
Let men who would practice alchemy learn first to mirror the great examples of all ages who have used heaven as their design, and then let them learn to select the best qualities of their lives so that alchemy can be used as it was divinely intended, as the most noble method of achieving the desires of the heart right here and now.
I strongly suspect that many of my auditors, but few, if any, of the most sincere students, are anxious to have imparted unto them at once the philosophers' stone or the magical properties that will make them at will a combination of Aladdin and Midas with a trace of benevolence sprinkled in.
I here declare for those who think thusly that while I shall impart tremendous knowledge concerning the science of alchemy in the whole of this nine-part study, I doubt very much that unless they absorb the secrets of the first lessons with utter humility, allowing me as the instructor the privilege of preparing the teachings as God would have me do, they will not at the very end find themselves wanting. And it will not be the fault of either teaching or teacher!
I do not intend to give a lengthy discourse on the vanities of worldly life, but I would like to point out that it is the hope of the Brotherhood in releasing these teachings at this time to avoid for our students the mistakes of some of the early alchemists whose sole purpose seemed to be the acquirement of riches and honor and the ability to produce from universal substance the energies to change base metals into gold.
Let me hasten to say that not all of the early alchemists confined their goals to temporary gain. Indeed many stalwart souls pursued alchemy with the same reverence they would a quest for the Holy Grail, seeing it as a divine art and the origin of the Christian mysteries, as when Christ changed the water into wine at the marriage in Cana of Galilee.1
We desire to see the original concepts about alchemy given new meaning, and we desire to see the meaning it acquired in the mystery schools brought to the fore. For the uses to which this science is presently put must be translated to a higher dimension if mankind are to reap the full benefits thereof.
Unless this spiritual science is applied to the freeing of individuals and society from drudgery, confusion, and compromise with the densities of human thought - as is our wish - the purposes to which God ordained it will remain unfulfilled. We who pursue the high calling of the alchemist aspire to see all attain a place where they can both teach and extol the basic purposes of life to the youth of the world as having far greater than mere temporal pleasures, which in reality serve a lesser purpose to a divine alchemist than does a pacifier to a suckling child.
Let no one think because I spend this time in introducing the heart of the subject to you that my discussion is not pertinent to the facts at hand. Unless each one understands that he individually must exercise his God-given right to use power wisely and lovingly, he cannot help but fall into pits of self-delusion and rationalization.
Now, it is God's plan that everyone on earth pursue the understanding of himself and his destiny. Conceit born of intellectual pride has caused many a sincere student, and even a number of worldly masters of one science or another, to fall into traps of their own creation; and in many cases they never knew when the snare was sprung.
Therefore, if any subject be included here, let no one think he can omit it simply because he may seem to know it already or because he has considered it before. We place many gems of thought in the most unlikely sentences, which, though plain enough of speech and easily seen, may require more than the diligence of even an honest heart's scanning.
Saint Peter voiced the query "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"2 It is well for the would-be alchemist to realize that this is an exact and true science whose illumination is conferred upon man by God himself. Its purpose is to teach mankind how to obtain for themselves every gracious gift and virtue which their lifestreams might require in finding the way back Home to God's heart.
I do not say that you cannot learn to materialize every wish of your being - and this aspect of alchemy is for some the easiest part of the whole, while for others it remains the most difficult. I do say that the design of those wishes ought to be contemplated more than the wondrous science of bringing them into manifestation from the invisible. For to create a worthy design is a most noble endeavor, worthy of the God in man, which alone can set him free to fulfill his immortal destiny.
We have labored below and waited above for the children of this world to cease the plunder and pillage of war, to cultivate the education of the underprivileged, to relinquish the desire for class distinction, and to offer themselves as would princes of the realm to serve effectively the needs of their impoverished yet noble kin. We are presently determined to seek out the faithful of all nations and to empower them with the means whereby they can individually escape from the self-imposed bondage of the times and obtain their own priceless inheritance.
Naturally, this heritage is neither temporal nor ephemeral. However, when serving in Europe to dissipate some of the poverty and confusion so prevalent there, I did use universal alchemy to produce the substance which, although temporary in nature, supplied many human needs and was both comforting and helpful to the world and to the personal lives of my beneficiaries.
I conceive nothing wrong in the idea, nor do I look with disfavor upon your having a divine source of supply to meet all your needs. I do feel it is needful for you to keep constantly humble and grateful as God places within your hands the key to the control of natural forces.
Again, and second to no idea contained herein, is the constant need to understand the universal scheme or plan of creation so that all that you design and do will be harmonious with eternal Law and cosmic principles.
I hope that I shall have neither affrighted nor discouraged any of the students of alchemy from pursuing this marvelous divine study. I am, however, now free to proceed with more relish, for I have magnified the eternally manifest principle of the immortal intelligence of God which some call inspiration, while others call it simply the mind of God.
Whatever men may call a quality, it is its possession that counts the whole nine points of the Law. Therefore, love the emanation of divine wisdom contained herein, which, like sunlight shimmering through the trees, touches with its fingers of Light all through which it passes. For only by love can you truly possess.
I AM the resurrection and the life of cosmic purpose within you.
In the name of Freedom, I remain
[Taken from the book version Saint Germain on Alchemy]