Every moment is Alchemy.

This sentence arrived in my thoughts some time ago and has been a part of my daily mantra ever since. It is a powerful sentence and surely it has been written about before or recited during a speech. Every moment is Alchemy. I would think this, I would say it out loud, I would share it with my friends and clients, I would feel a shift in my body when I said it even, but what does it really mean?

At the very least, every moment is an opportunity for Alchemy to happen or to be observed. Alchemy, defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life.” Well, that certainly sounds amazing! And, more from Merriam-Webster: “a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way.” While the first definition clearly has a focused intention and high aiming goal, what follows is might be just as important in terms of the process itself that invokes this mysterious transformation to occur. These two definitions offer a beautiful invitation to examine the components of an alchemical equation. The presence of the fuel or material and the observation of how and when the transformation occurs.

To touch on a bit more on the spiritual and esoteric understanding of Alchemy we must acknowledge some of the known and existing elements. One of them being the observation of nature and in particular the changing seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. In a later unfolding of Alchemical philosophy, there are the seven operations – calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation and coagulation. There are of course many more layers and areas of study of Alchemy and its ancient origins as surely some of you dear readers might already know about. I feel it would be an inadequate attempt on my part to write more about these elements and it is not a place from which I want to write about Alchemy. I am writing about Alchemy from a place of how it can be reached for, regardless of how deep our understanding is of its many layers. I am writing about Alchemy from a place of openness to exploring the mystery that is all around us, which we will never be able to fully grasp.

And yet, we can honor its influence and greatness. As human beings, like all beings living on the earth, we are part of the great mystery and part of the ever so wise nature. We are part of her cycles, weather and movements. The Alchemists, in their original intention perhaps, were inspired to imitate nature and take a piece of her lessons into their own hands. They observed the natural world around them, the elements, the seasons, the weather, the cycles and saw the great process of constant change all around. And, if nature can do all this, why not us?

One of the initial goals of the Alchemist was pretty ambitious, transmutation of base metals into gold. Interestingly, if achieved, it would mean that other transmutations were possible. No wonder they spent all their time and resources deep in their practice. No wonder they observed deeply, intimately, every moment of change that occurred.

And here it is – the moment of change. This is what I am most interested in and feeling it as that daily invitation to welcome these moments of Alchemy, even if we don’t have a big goal in mind.

How do we meet this moment? How do we lean into it, transform it, or more precisely be transformed by it as well. First, perhaps by remembering that the process of transformation we might seek, this moment of discovery and change might not occur through an epic of a convergence of events, powerful astrological alignments, but rather, as a simple moment of everyday, disguised as ordinary.

And here we can dip our toe into the esoteric abyss of great wisdom without a laboratory or metals to transmute, but rather with a simple offering of our curiosity and a genuine eagerness to show up. I dare say, this might be enough. Whatever our fuel is in the moment becomes the material of engagement and an invitation towards a shift. Even the smallest of shifts will count.

We have all faced something overwhelming, something difficult. We have acted with grace at times and at other times, perhaps not so much. We have been challenged, hurt, but also, we have persevered and overcome life’s obstacles. All this is part of the human experience, the human journey. What if some of these instances could be utilized as fuel for transformation and fuel for shifts to occur? If we leaned into those moments, showed up more fully, with more presence, which would most likely offer us more choice to act differently, or to see a different perspective, a shift in perspective perhaps and therefore a shift in the action would follow.

Now we know what that moment feels like and it can be added to our personal medicine pouch, to reach for again. If we could overcome one thing, even a small one, why not another?

And, just as the earlier mentioned definition implies that if the change from one metal to gold is possible, it will open the door to other miraculous shifts, like curing diseases and prolonging life, then yes. Our daily meetings and alignments with Alchemical shifts also open the doors to more shifts and possibilities. As within – so without. We walk the path of personal Alchemy, the Alchemy of the Self, where … Every Moment is Alchemy.