Hello Sober Warriors!
Resident Astrologer, Analisa is here to shed some light on the history of alcohol, the “why” behind alcohol, and its relationship to its alter ego “spirits.” There is no better time to reflect on this subject than when the veil between worlds begins to thin, and we approach one of my favorite times of the year, Samhain, Halloween, Hallowmas, Dia de los Muertos!
You may ask, why talk about alcohol on a platform focused on sobriety?
I truly believe most of us who are sober are not sober because we dislike alcohol. We are sober because we loved alcohol. We love alcohol to the point where it has become a problem. One of the saving graces to my sobriety has been my understanding of the reasons behind my attraction to substances.
When I first began drinking, I loved that alcohol seemed to make me let go and relinquish all cares. My experience taught me that people opened up more when they were drinking. Personally, I enjoyed connecting with other people who seemed to open up more and let their guard down after we had a few drinks. When intoxicated, I often found myself in many conversations with people about their relationship to spirit.
At the time, it felt that all of the rigidity around the self seemed to melt away. I felt more attached to that other realm when feeling connected with others. You know, the place that felt otherworldly and not as weight-bearing. Believe it or not, this was the exact intent of the alchemists who created the foundational practices that became what our alcohol is today.
5 Years Sober
With almost 5 years of sobriety under my belt, I am not an expert on alchemy. I have been studying this topic for the last several years of my sobriety. Exploring the history and the great alchemists of our time has only deepened my spiritual path. The relationship between alcohol, alchemy, science, and the spiritual world of our history is fascinating.
Alchemists were really our first true chemists. Often they were scrutinized for their emphasis on turning lead into gold. While they successfully did this, the symbolism on a spiritual level was symbolic of a more esoteric goal. Gold in spiritual alchemy was a representation of the truest form of enlightenment. Lead symbolizes the weight of the human experience, the ego, and our connection to karma.
History shows us the alchemists of centuries before were known for seeing themselves as true masters, magicians, and creators, if you will, of their environment. Their strong belief was that if we could understand how energy, matter, vibration, and vital life force were constructed, we could manipulate and control the world around us.
History of alcohol according to Google
When you do a generic Google search on the history of alcohol, you will find most of these early alchemists. Including all of the amazing sciences that contributed to our society. What you will not always find is their true intention behind the science. They were trying to find the key to unlocking the code that makes the world the way it is. Not just in the material but in the spiritual as well. Seeking to find the immortal soul and the primordial fires of existence that give us life.
Historical records show that alchemists were trying to discover life after death. Frequently they are said to have transcendental and mystical experiences on the way to their scientific discoveries. Many alchemists were murdered, imprisoned, and chastised for their discoveries and experiments.
Alchemists of the past
The alchemists of the past came in many different forms. Astrologers, numerologists, mediums, doctors, musicians, chemists, mathematicians, philosophers, and mystics, and often deemed “heretics” by their local churches, governments, and peers. They truly paved the road for where we are today as a civilization. Without them, we would not have astronomy, modern medicine, physics, chemistry, or, you guessed it … even alcohol. The sciences that they discovered were related to their understanding of the planets and stars within our solar system, the 4 elements. The belief that what was above was true, that which was below.
Traditionally there are 7 main steps in alchemy. Each is related to a planet and a sign in the tropical Zodiac. History shows us the steps also relate to a scientific and chemical process. One that can also be tied to various spiritual experiences we undergo in our life as humans. Furthermore, each of these steps is a literal chemical and scientific practice. The process is also related to spirituality and how we can advance as spiritual beings on the path to enlightenment.
The 7 steps of alchemy and their astrological correspondence are as follows:
- Calcination ruled by Saturn, Aries, and Sagittarius
- Dissolution ruled by Jupiter and Cancer
- Separation ruled by Mars and Scorpio
- Conjunction ruled by the Sun and Taurus
- Fermentation ruled by Venus, Leo, and Capricorn
- Distillation ruled by Mercury and Virgo
- Coagulation ruled by the Moon, Gemini, Pisces, and Aquarius
Look Familiar?
Do these words may look familiar to you? They also pertain to certain steps of making and brewing alcohol that we know today. This is not a coincidence. Alcohol is a product of some of these experiments that were conducted by early alchemists. It is also no coincidence that alcohol removes our inhibitions. One of the purposes of spiritual alchemy, and the creation of certain elixirs and substances, was to help to dissolve the self and the identity. To bring up the ugly parts of our human nature and release us from the weight our “self” may bear on our soul.
Predating alcohol, all the way back to the ancient alchemists of Egypt and China, these elixirs were used in sacred ceremonies to bring about transcendental experiences that would melt away the ego identity of the self. This allowed one to emerge with divinity and the heart of the soul. This is very similar to what modern-day shamans continue to do in rituals with plant medicine.
Plant-based psychedelics
You might be familiar with people like Terrence Mckenna, who was an advocate for LSD and psychedelic medicinal experiences. Even in modern science today, we see experiments with psychedelic plants to treat cancer, mental health issues, and various illnesses. The alchemists and mystics of the past knew these secrets. They coveted them to sacred rituals, mystery schools, and fraternal orders and kept them often within their elite circles.
Additional history on alchemy
One of the alchemists credited for the beginning of the process of creating the alcohol that we have today was an Islamic man named Jabir ibn Hayyan. Jabir was an Arabic and Persian alchemist thought to have been born in 721 CE and died in 815 CE at 94 years old. His teachings were extremely complex and extensions of the alchemists that preceded him.
The word “alcohol” is Arabic in origin and is derived from the word “al-kuhl.” Do an internet search, and you will find two different translations of this word.
One is that al-kuhl is derived from the root word of “kohl” which was said to be a black powder. This was used as eye makeup that resulted from a distillation process. The other translation of al-kuhl translates to “body eating spirit,” which I have found no factual basis for. (but it’s eerie, right?)
The word spirit is actually derived from “al-ghawl”. This translates to be the etymology of the word “ghoul” that we know today. Another interesting correlation to the Arabic word “al-ghawl” is that it is also associated with the intoxication process that results from drinking wine.
Greek mythology
In Greek mythology, Dionysos was a god that ruled the underworld, spirits, demons, ghouls, grapes, and wine. History has recorded many cults over the ages dedicated to this god. The annual festivities typically took place during the Winter Solstice, another holiday that is often related to celebrating spirits and the underworld.
For centuries there has been a correlation between the subconscious realms and our experience while under the influence of alcoholic substances. History and mythology have documented this for centuries. The word spirits, about alcohol, was to equate to the evaporation that was released from the solution during the distillation process. Legend has it that elixirs would release a certain vapor related to a spirit or the soul of the essence.
Distillation and spiritual alchemy
According to spiritual alchemy, the Distillation process is where we reach purity within the self. That self is unified with love, and we feel a sense of duty towards humanity as we merge with all. Each elixir or solution created by alchemists had a chemical property related to one of the 7 steps of alchemy. The intention was to help evolve the consciousness to the next state of being. It was commonly believed that the spirits were released into the vapors of these substances. This was the essence of the vibrational frequency associated with these compounds. Which, therefore, had a direct influence on our mental, emotional, and physical evolution of self.
Distillation in alchemy is the process of boiling and condensation the fermented solution to increase its purity. Such takes place in the distilling of wine to make brandy. Distillation is represented by a compound known as Black Pulvis Solaris. This is made by mixing black antimony with purified sulfur. The two clump together to make what alchemists called a “bezoar,” a kind of sublimated solid that forms in the intestines and brain. Virgo rules the intestines, and Mercury, the planet that rules Virgo, also rules the nervous system. This relates to our minds, which inhibit the brain.
Modern-day society and the sciences
The science of these early experiments has resulted in the discovery of our periodic table, chemistry as we know it today, medical advancements in technology, physics, biology, mathematics, and more.
In modern society, alchemists are a rare find and typically misunderstood. We have lost the conjunction of science with spirituality. Oftentimes the two worlds are incredibly separate, although we have so much science to credit to these wonderful mystics.
Alcohol and drugs have taken a darker turn in modern culture from my perspective. The ultimate goal of these substances has been lost. The energies that possess us when we are under the influence of these “spirits” do not always lead us to brighter places.
I believe, I believe
I truly believe in the work that the alchemists were doing. The dissolution of self, when intoxicated with an alcoholic substance, at times does make us release all cares and feel unified with the one. The problem with living in this state is that it removes us from the material in ways that are often incredibly negative, Especially if we are unwilling to do the spiritual work needed to grow into wholeness.
While many people have spiritual and transcendental experiences with drugs, alcohol, and various plants, these ancient alchemists and mystics also discovered ways to connect to the spiritual realm without using substances. Through meditation, yoga, breathing techniques, dream interpretation, astral projection, and more. Interested in these modalities of energy work? I highly recommend diving further into this subject.
The 7th stage of alchemy: Coagulation
In the final 7th stage of alchemy, Coagulation, we see the Moon as the completion of the cycle. The Moon corresponds to Silver. The Silver Cord, often referred to by the Hindus, Buddhists, and great mystics of our time is what connects the soul to the spirit.
Upon further study and investigation, you will find that cross-culturally, we have all discovered these 7 steps of alchemy, their relationship to the Zodiac, the planets, the 4 elements, and the math of the universe.
While alcohol may be a spirit and connect us to the subconscious realms, we do not need the spirit of alcohol to find the spirit within the self. Most spiritual practices will teach you this. When we find a true unification within the self, we will discover that what we were seeking or escaping needs no prompting from the material realms. It was there all along, hidden in plain sight.
Wishing you all a blessed and Sober October!
Love always, Analisa Six
For further reading and sources for this article:
- The Emerald Tablet by Dennis William Hauck
- Alchemy Lab
- John Dee and the Empire of Angels by Jason Louv
- The Alchemical Writings of Edward Kelly by Arthur Edward Waite
- The Magic Makers by David Carroll
- The Dhammapada
- Jabir ibn Hayyan
- Dionysos
- The Emerald Tablet Alchemy for Personal Transformation
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