Alchemy Basics: Modern Explanations to Ancient Concepts

Last Updated on June 13, 2025 by Avia

When most people hear the word alchemy, they picture a robed dude in a candlelit lab trying to whip up gold with herbs, beakers, and blind hope. But the real alchemists (the ones who scribbled cryptic formulas in secret books and wrapped their deepest truths in dragon symbols and riddles) weren’t trying to strike it rich. They were after something far more radical: The transformation of the soul. At the heart of it, that’s at the core of alchemy basics. 

Alchemy Basics: What’s It All About Alphie?

But there’s more (oh, so much more) to alchemy, but it’s a tough nut to crack. Why?

The difficulty (I think) in understanding alchemy basics is: 

1) Scouring through loads of texts that are incredibly arcane and difficult to understand because of (often purposefully) obtuse or confusing language. 

2) Missing the point of the symbolism completely. 

That’s why I wanted to talk to you about alchemy basics, so you can get a grasp of the highlights, so you have a better understanding (if for no other reason, it makes for good cocktail party conversation, haha). 

This article is my attempt to unwrap the ancient, deeply symbolic teachings of alchemy in a way that actually makes sense to modern minds. We’ll explore the legendary trio of salt, sulphur, and mercury (no, not the kind from your kitchen or thermometer), along with the elusive fourth force: Azoth. These aren’t chemicals…they’re cosmic ingredients for awakening.

Alchemy is more than historical curiosity. It’s a living language of growth, shadow work, healing, and personal power. And if you’ve ever felt like you’re being broken down to be built back better…congrats, you’ve already begun your Great Work. So grab your metaphorical crucible and let’s fire things up.

Alchemical Symbolism: Salt, Sulphur, Mercury, and the Wild Card Called Azoth

Let’s cut through the ancient murk and get to the golden stuff, shall we? In alchemy, three main symbolic “ingredients” show up again and again: salt, sulphur, and mercury. Think of them like the spiritual LEGO blocks of the universe…not your pantry salt or your thermometer’s mercury, mind you. These are energetic principles, not literal chemicals. Each one has its own unique vibe, but plot twist: each also secretly contains the others. It’s a mystical version of Russian nesting dolls.

• Salt is the body…structure, stability, the earthy grounding stuff.
• Sulphur is the soul…fire, willpower, passion.
• Mercury is the spirit…fluid, quicksilver mind, messenger between realms.

And then there’s Azoth…the bonus wildcard. It’s the spiritual glue that binds everything together. Depending on who you ask, Azoth is:

• Divine fire
• Magnetism
• The astral light
• The breath of life itself

Basically, Azoth is the universal “it factor”…the raw, boundless energy that animates everything.

Together, these three ingredients plus Azoth make a tidy metaphysical ten (3×3 + 1). That ten links to Pythagoras’s idea of the sacred decad, and no surprise, that number shows up all over ancient mystical systems.

The Philosopher’s Stone: It’s Not Just a Magical Rock

If you’ve heard of alchemy, you’ve heard whispers (or enthusiastic shouts from fantasy novels) about the Philosopher’s Stone…that legendary substance that turns lead into gold or grants eternal life. But here’s the truth the ancient alchemists knew: the stone was never really about making money or cheating death. It was never a literal gem or some mystical rock you could stash in your pocket and use to win at life.

The Philosopher’s Stone is a symbol…and a pretty profound one at that. At its core, the stone represents the perfected self. Not perfect like polished-and-shiny or never-makes-mistakes kind of perfect. But perfected…as in aligned, awakened, fully integrated. 

The stone is the final product of the Great Work, the result of deep internal transformation, shadow work, soul healing, ego dissolving, and spirit remembering. It’s the “you” that emerges after you’ve been through the fire…still standing, but no longer the same.

In symbolic terms:

• It’s lead turned into gold…aka, the heavy, sluggish parts of us (fear, shame, doubt) transmuted into wisdom, compassion, and radiance.
• It’s immortality…not necessarily of the body, but of the soul. A consciousness that no longer fears death because it understands itself as eternal.
• It’s the union of opposites…masculine and feminine, spirit and matter, dark and light. When we harmonize the polarities within, something entirely new is born.

The stone was also seen as the key to enlightenment, the map to the divine, and the embodied essence of Azoth…that mysterious life force we talked about earlier. It’s the proof that the universe isn’t random chaos, but an elegant process of unfolding, refining, and transforming.

Remember this: The Philosopher’s Stone isn’t buried in some temple or hidden in a forest waiting to be found. It’s inside you.

It’s the still, glowing core that’s been quietly waiting for you to wake up, do the work, and remember who you truly are. Every heartbreak, every ego burn, every dark night of the soul…it all refines you, distills you, prepares you for the moment you hold your own “stone” in your hands and realize:

That’s the alchemy. That’s the real gold.

Schamayim: No, It’s Not a Sneeze…It’s Divine Fire-Water

Beyond the stars lies the mystical realm of Schamayim, a Hebrew term that translates loosely as “fiery water.” It’s the cosmic juice that flows directly from the Divine Source…a mix of divine masculine fire and divine feminine water. Imagine sunlight and moonlight merging into one eternal cosmic stream. That’s Schamayim.

Scholars of the mystical arts sometimes equate this fiery fluid with Azoth, calling it the universal mercury. It streams into Eden (not the garden with apple trees, but Eden as in “vapor” or “essence”), and from there, it splits into the four elements…fire, earth, air, and water.

It’s this divine stuff that was used to mold Adam, not the physical body, but the spiritual body. According to the mystics, that spiritual body is still hidden, waiting to be revealed through enlightenment, transformation… and yes, alchemical work.

Unlocking the Secrets (But Only If You’re Ready)

Here’s a truth alchemists repeat with a wink and a whisper: the texts are allegories. They wrapped their insights in riddles, fables, and poetic symbolism. If you’re reading these teachings and thinking they’re just about melting metals or making potions…well, you’ve missed the whole point. As Elias Ashmole said, it’s all “Veils and Shadows,” pointing to one secret truth.

The Great Work Isn’t Just Chemistry…It’s Transformation

So what is the Magnum Opus…the Great Work? It’s not just about creating a mystical medicine that glows in the dark or turns lead into gold. It’s a metaphor for spiritual rebirth. Like Christ rising from the tomb, or the phoenix from the ashes, we must dissolve, decay, and be reborn.

That’s why death, putrefaction, and even skulls are common symbols in alchemy…they represent the death of the false self so the true self can emerge.

The Rainbow Peacock and the Elixir of Light

In the alchemist’s lab (or soul), when the elements are cooked just right, they pass through a gorgeous stage called the Peacock’s Tail…a shimmering, rainbow-like iridescence. It’s a sign you’re close to the Philosopher’s Stone, that mythical substance that transforms everything it touches.

But don’t rush it. Go too far, and the whole thing explodes…sometimes literally. The elixir becomes too divine to contain. It won’t stay in a flask, and it sure won’t play by our rules. 

The Zodiac Steps to Enlightenment

Some alchemical traditions link their work to the zodiac, turning the twelve signs into a spiritual staircase:

• Aries: Calcination (burn it all down)
• Taurus: Congelation (solidify the new)
• Gemini: Fixation (lock in purpose)
• Cancer: Dissolution (soften and surrender)
• Leo: Digestion (absorb the lesson)
• Virgo: Distillation (purify the essence)
• Libra: Sublimation (rise above)
• Scorpio: Separation (let go of the dross)
• Sagittarius: Incineration (burn away what remains)
• Capricorn: Fermentation (transform with time)
• Aquarius: Multiplication (expand)
• Pisces: Projection (share the light)

Walk these steps, and you’re not just changing matter…you’re becoming a mystic version of yourself.

How Tarot Fits Into Alchemy (Spoiler: It’s More Than Just Card Tricks)

Let’s talk Tarot and alchemy (because yes, they’re totally in cahoots, and deeply interconnected).

On the surface, Tarot looks like a deck of pretty pictures used to predict your ex coming back (again). But if you dig deeper, past the pop-culture mystique and into the esoteric roots, you’ll find that the Tarot is actually an alchemical roadmap. A visual guide to transformation. A mirror for the soul’s journey through the Great Work.

Let’s break it down:

The Major Arcana = The Stages of the Great Work

The 22 cards of the Major Arcana aren’t just standalone archetypes. They’re steps. Echoes. Stages in the alchemical process of soul evolution.

• The Fool begins the journey in raw, chaotic potential—pure Azoth energy.
  
• Cards like the Tower, Death, and Temperance mark the stages of breakdown, purification, and integration.
  
• By the time we get to the World, we’ve reached a new level of wholeness—a completed cycle. Lead turned to gold.

Sound familiar? That’s classic alchemy right there.

Bonus Tip: Each card is a snapshot of a chemical reaction within you. When you draw a card, you’re holding a spiritual temperature gauge for where you are in your inner transformation. Calcination? Fermentation? Sublimation? Tarot shows you what’s bubbling in your personal crucible.

The Four Suits = The Four Elements

In alchemy basics, we work with earth, air, fire, and water—and surprise! So does Tarot:

• Pentacles = Earth (Salt): the physical world, grounding, material stability.
  
• Swords = Air (Mercury): thought, communication, and spiritual movement.
  
• Wands = Fire (Sulphur): passion, action, willpower.
  
• Cups = Water (Azoth’s favorite carrier): emotions, intuition, the heart’s wisdom.

Each suit helps you balance the elements inside you, just like an alchemist would. Got too many Swords? Maybe your Mercury’s on overdrive. Not enough Cups? Time to let Azoth flow and reconnect with your heart.

The Real Secret Ingredient to Basic Alchemy Is You

Here’s the real deal. You can’t just follow a recipe and expect results. Two people could do the exact same steps in a lab, and only one will get the gold.

Why? Because the final ingredient is you. Your soul. Your energy. Your spiritual development. If you haven’t done the inner work…your own personal alchemy…then the outer stuff won’t budge. The formulas are real, yes. But they’re only activated when the person using them is spiritually ready.

Final Thoughts (and a Gentle Warning) About Alchemy Basics

If you’re tempted to try literal alchemy at home, don’t. Unless you’re already a magus (and if you are, you won’t need to Google instructions), it ain’t gonna work. The great alchemists knew the formulas were spiritual first and chemical second. Without the “magnesia” (that inner magnetic power of the awakened soul), the elements just sit there.

Instead, start by working on the alchemy basics within: dissolve your fears, distill your purpose, and resurrect your soul’s gold. That’s the true Philosopher’s Stone. And the only vessel strong enough to hold it? Your transformed self.

Mighty brightly,

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