LETS EXPERIMENT WITH THE 4 ELEMENTS

Become as relaxed as possible. Mentally concentrate upon the process of inner refinement. That you wish to absorb into the crucible of your being certain qualities which can be obtained from outer substances and which, upon being concentrated within your Self, begin the process of transmutation. In other words, that which is base in you is going to be subjected briefly to a refining process. Thus it will become “inner gold.”

(First you are going to attempt to acquire the qualities and properties present within earth.) Allow your hands to lie in your lap, palms upward, as though you were holding earth in them. Visualize the earthy substance or, if you wish, actually obtain a handful of earth for this experiment. Contemplate this bit of earth for a moment. If you are only visualizing that you hold it, try actually to feel that you hold the substance in your hands. Remember, there is enough atomic power in a handful of earth to furnish all the electricity needed by our largest city for years. This atomic power-Life Essence-was first discovered by the ancient alchemists.

Center your attention upon the earth, and mentally begin to question: What quality can this handful of earth give to me? What quality can I absorb from it? I can absorb the quality of stability; of fixity. “Ye are the salt of the earth!” The earth is that upon which the foundation of physical plane structures is placed… it is solid. Metals and minerals in all manner of precious gems are found in the earth. Their radiance and luster are qualities I can acquire as well as fixity and stability. As you contemplate the earth in your hands and let your thought dwell upon these qualities you will begin to absorb into your being all the properties which it contains. Remember: activity follows your thought! Continue to dwell upon these qualities, and the idea of your obtaining them from the earth, for a period of from thirty-seconds to several minutes. Discontinue when there is an indication of mental or physical strain.

Now direct your attention to air. What are the properties present in the atmosphere? Which of them can you absorb? Which do you wish to absorb? It is possible for you to absorb destructive properties of uncontrolled air. The air can be violent, a hurricane or or tornado, and bring death and destruction in its wake. It is possible for you to absorb these qualities of stagnant air-air that is motionless. However, you do not direct your attention to them and therefore are not inwardly attuned to them. Instead you think of the trade winds which are in constant movement. As they perpetuate their currents through the atmosphere they carry with them the warmth which helps to bring greater life, a sense of peacefulness… the touch of the gods themselves. You are going to absorb these qualities from the air which exists all about you, from the air which you continuously breath. By the breath is suggested other qualities which you may absorbconstancy and rhythm. As the trade winds blow, they do so with constancy and rhythmic regularity. Thus you absorb the qualities of constant, fluid and rhythmic movement.

Thus as you bring the finer qualities of the atmosphere into the earth body you inhabit, you help bring the quality of life and spiritual attainment to your soul. Consider these ideas as you breathe slowly and easily, concentrating upon the regularity of your breath. Do this for a period of time similar to that in which you absorbed qualities from the earth.

Now let us continue to the third of the elements. As scriptural incident, also symbolic of the alchemical art, is important here. John the Baptist said: I indeed baptize you with water…but he that cometh after me…shall baptize you…with fire. Remember that fire is present in water, but in that element water is predominant. Through the use of your imagination feel yourself completely immersed in water. Sense that through all the porous openings of your physical body you are absorbing the qualities of water. You are in the deeps which carry a tremendous potency. As you imagine yourself in these greater depths you become conscious of greater and greater pressure being exerted upon you. You are acquiring a spiritual power which is absorbed from the element of water. It is a cleansing power. Concentrate upon this for the same period of time already established with the other elements.

Now to the fourth element, that of fire. In the element of fire, air and water are also present, but fire predominates, and fire is symbolic of the higher and more spiritualized vibratory level. It is not a consuming flame. Now, sense that you are becoming immersed in a flame. The outer surface of this flame serves as a protective element. It will burn and consume everything not in vibratory harmony with it. It is a protection to you and allows nothing to approach you which is not in harmony with your nature. The inner portion of the flame passes throughout your being and refines all that is present there. It spiritualizes every element of your being and causes it to be elevated to a higher vibratory level of expression. It is a flame without heat. This is the Universal Solvent. Anything placed in it is reduced immediately to its basic atomic structure. Thus you are immersed in the

Alkahest, or Universal Solvent, everything in you that is incompatible with its nature is rejected. On the other hand, every quality and attribute in you that is compatible is accepted by it, is spiritualized, strengthened, and made a more expressive part of your nature. As you become immersed in fire you become a Son of Fire, a Son of God. You incorporate into your being all the qualities of fire. They are protective qualities which refuse to accept anything not compatible with their own higher vibratory nature. They are qualities of Light, or of Astral Light, which is another name for the Light of Wisdom. A consideration of this element does not, suddenly and by itself, make you wise. But the absorption of the vibratory essences of this element, through your own powers of mental direction, activate that portion of your inner nature which is capable of expressing wisdom. This process of activation will take place over an extended period of time, and as you periodically direct your thought to these ideas you become more alert to all the divine potentialities present within your Self. You become more fully capable of expressing the wisdom you possess and that which you may draw from the Universal Storehouse of Wisdom.

Undertaking the process described above, absorbing the qualities of the four elements, serves to stimulate in the crucible of your being those elements which are harmonious with those upon which you concentrate your attention.

It is suggested that you concentrate upon only one element at a time. For instance, with a small cup or bowl of earth, concentrate upon absorbing its elements over an extended period of time. Judge the length of time for concentration upon this one element (the number of days or weeks) according to your own desire or impression. Then after you have “worked” with earth for a while, begin with the element of air. Then go to water, then fire, using your bowl of water and a candle as aids to your power of visualization and imagery.

Consideration of these various elements in this manner, means that you are activating these same qualities within yourself in accordance with the alchemical principles given in the beginning of this lesson.

Finally, you will discover that you are the artificer! By this process you transmute that which is base, or that which is upon a lower vibratory level within you, to that which is gold, or to a higher vibratory level.

Excerpted and edited from Transmutation by Robert Chaney ©2022