wicca 101 | rituals | meditation | magical studies

6: Alchemical Exercises for Distillation | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

This step is called Consecration of the Stone. When the fermentation is successful, the next step is distillation. Rather than a one time event, this involves the repeated vaporization and washing of the “Mother of the Stone.”
Psychologically, this is the white stage of repeated separation and recombination of the subtle and the gross aspects of personality that continues until peace and well being bond to the personality. In spiritual terms, it is the rejuvenating immersion in the womb of the primal forces of the universe that marks the final death of the old ego and the birth of the Transpersonal Self. The Seed multiplies: there is a “rain” of purified matter which builds up to produce the “Mercurial Water” which symbolizes the mental elements and former complexes freely suspended in the collective unconscious. A common symbol for this stage is the Pelican pecking herself in the breast to feed her young on her blood. The Alchemist must nourish the spiritual child with his/her own soul by surrendering the old self. This takes place on 3 levels – physical, mental and spiritual.

Meditation on Images
Meditate on baptismal fonts, lotus flower, Edelweiss flowers and other 8 – fold patterns. Also, rose petals, rain, snow, rainbows. Animal images: unicorn, white doves, soaring birds, owls, pelicans, a serpent on the cross, winged serpents, a Green Lion eating the Sun, a dragon in flames with its tail in its mouth.

Tarot Meditation
The High Priestess, as the esoteric soul, the Hierophant as healing energy, Temperance as the patience required for the repeated distillation to work, the Tower as the Alchemist’s body where the higher work takes place.

Dream Images
Start keeping a dream journal, if you haven’t already. Flying, climbing to the tops of mountains, riding up in elevators and escalators, walking the streets of a deserted city, releasing caged birds and confronting lions or eagles are all dream images that mean you are in the Distillation stage of the work. Record your dreams in as much detail as you can remember.

Distilling Emotion Meditation
Relax in a comfortable position. Tune in and feel the rise and fall of the currents of Mercury within. Start with a strong issue that has been bothering you. Try to generate as much emotional energy as you can, bring them to a boil and let them pull you down into your body and darkness. Now, using your impartial mind, distill the facts of the situation, try to be objective and see if there was someone at fault or if it was just an accident or misunderstanding. Now imagine the situation developing in a different way and what you could have done to change the outcome. Feel how distilling the experience raises you out of your body into light, using purified emotional energy.

Sublimation Meditation
Relax in a comfortable position. Think about and feel a base instinct or stubborn belief, heat these emotions until they want to seek expression, then immediately “cool” them by thinking about them using objective consciousness, then redirect this energy into any spiritual purpose, such as HGA invocation or energized prayer. Continue until the issue is completely transmuted into spiritual purpose.

Circulating the Light
Relax completely, using breath awareness meditation until the mind and body are quiet. Gather all of the internal energy/light into a great ball of concentrated light in the 2nd chakra. As you continue breathing, circulate the energy up to the brain (up the front of the body), where it is distilled and more accumulates, then any unconverted energy returns to the 2nd chakra down the back of the body. Repeat (for years) until all the light is purified and can unite completely with the Above.

Physical Exercises
Physical exercise is recommended at this stage. Tai Chi and Yoga, particularly Kundalini Yoga are very harmonious with Alchemical practice.