wicca 101 | rituals | meditation | magical studies

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

Now we can concentrate on the Fire in the Soul, moving from the personality and energies of the personal unconscious to the infinite resources of the collective unconscious and the transpersonal self. Fermentation is a 2 part operation. First comes Putrefaction, where matter is allowed to rot and decompose, then comes the infusion of digesting bacteria and the dead material seems to come back to life by changing its fundamental nature. This is called Spiritization, which is marked by the iridescent film call “the Peacock’s Tail.”

Psychologically, the expired product of conjunction is exposed to the heated moisture of our deepest and most clinging psychic components, the psychological manure in which most of us wallow. The Alchemist realizes that s/he is still human as s/he realizes their inherent deficiencies that initiates a mortification and decomposition of ego and frequently mental depression, the extinction of all interest in life – The Dark Night of the Soul. One must go through it to exit into the White Light of the Other Side.

What Not to Do: Historically, many Alchemist created, discovered, experimented, wrote about and refined hallucinogenic plants to assist them in the Fermentation phase. Considering the current legal and social problems, not to mention the impurities one will find in street products, illegal substances are not recommended, nor are they necessary for Spiritual Enlightenment.

Meditation on Putrefaction
Persist! Contemplate graves, dung beetles, coffins and skeletons (and other images of death and decay), followed by sowing seeds in the black earth, germination, greenness and rebirth. Death is rebirth, not extinction.

Tarot Meditation
Meditate on the Tarot card Death, the great equalizer and the rotting of old, bad habits and character defects, traits, and bits of ego. Death is transformation through Putrefaction.

Follow this by a meditation on the Hermit, the guide for part 2 of the process – the Union of the physical body with the soul and spirit.

Secret Fire Meditation
Meditate on the Secret Fire, which is Inspired Imagination, where the decay is left behind and the purified fire lights the way through the darkness to the Astral rainbow light. (Do the other two meditations and exercises first.)

Green Lion Meditation
The Green Lion is the resurrected personality. Meditate on the image of the Green Lion, the Green Emerald, Thunderstorms, lightning, ladders, grapes/wine barrels – fermentation.

The Fermenting Fast
Fast for 3 days but sustain yourself with fruit and vegetable juices. On the 3rd day, invoke the Above (the HGA or Divine Self, a Godform or the Divine in General). Record your experiences and stay in harmony with them. Repeat as necessary.

Fermented Light Meditation
Sit in a comfortable chair, fold your hand in you lap and close your eyes. Concentrate on the first image that comes into your mind, not fantasy but True Imagination. Give it a little time and allow the images, patterns or blankness (whatever) to change and grow. Pay attention to the morphing image and try to remember as many details about the scene as you can. Now ask yourself a question or think about a problem, something you really want to know, and see what happens. Observe how images alter, what symbols appear and what the final version looks like. Open your eyes. Record your experiences in as much detail as you can remember. Repeat as often as you need to find your hidden truths.