Alchemy-Pagan Blog Project

Since I joined the Pagan Blog Project midway through letter B I am trying to do the posts that I have missed as time permits.  So, today, I will post my first A blog-Alchemy.   I am hoping to be all caught up by the end of February.

Alchemy is defined by http://dictionary.reference.com/ in part as "any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value."

Being a little liberal with that definition, (I'm a little liberal with most things actually),  I think of alchemy as the changing of mundane things into useful, beautiful, and/or valuable objects.

Personally, I practice alchemy all the time with my crafting.  My crocheting turns yarn into afghans, stuffed animals, tote bags, even clothing such as scarves and sweaters.  I also do candle-making which turns large chunks of wax into beautiful, sometimes even decorative candles.

And then there is cooking, most especially baking,   Plain flour, sugar, eggs, shortening, etc., by themselves none of them overly appetizing, but combined the right way, baked ambrosia-even if I do say so myself!LOL

However, the most amazing alchemy that I, or anyone else, can perform is on ourselves.  In less than 4 years I have gone from a drunk that didn't even get out of bed most days, to a gainfully employed, bill paying, blogging, now book-reviewing person.  ( I just received a copy of  "Druidry and Meditation" by Nimue Brown to review-it'll be my first review that someone actually gave me a book to review-I'm just so excited!)

Many people practice alchemy on themselves by exercising to change their bodies, eating right to improve their health, taking medications to vanquish diseases weakening their bodies, even meditating to improve their mental and emotional well being.

As witches, we go one step further. We work on establishing not just a connection to, but a strong relationship with the Divine so that we may become more Divine ourselves everyday.  We meditate, we invoke and evoke and practice ritual and connect with nature all to make ourselves better witches, and more importantly, better people.

This is truly alchemy at its best-changing ourselves from mundane creatures just going through life to beings at peace with and in tune with ourselves, nature and the Divine.  Beings who don't just accept life, but mold it to what we want it to be!

Blessed Be!