At a glance
-
Hardcover, 142 pages
-
Author: Mari Silva
-
Published: April 18, 2021
-
Dimensions: 0.38 x 9 x 6 in
-
Covers: the four alchemical elements and their symbols, the seven metals and their planets, the mundane elements, the twelve operations
-
Practical sections on herbal alchemy, planetary correspondences of plants, and the spagyric process
-
Includes detailed and easy herbal alchemy recipes
How to work with it
-
Read the principles chapters first. The recipes make far more sense once the twelve operations are familiar.
-
Learn the symbols. Elements, metals and planets share a notation you will meet everywhere else in esoteric reading.
-
Start with one herbal recipe rather than reading all of them — the book is explicit about self-transformation being the point of modern alchemy.
-
Keep the correspondence lists to hand. Which plants carry which planetary metals is the reference you will return to.
✨ Temple Tip — modern alchemy points inward
Silva is clear that the modern practice focuses on self-transformation rather than on transmuting metals. Read the twelve operations twice — once as chemistry, once as a description of what happens to a person — and the tradition opens up.
Questions we get asked
Is this for complete beginners?
Yes. It is written as a beginner's guide, answering questions about alchemy in easy-to-understand language.
Does it include recipes?
It does — detailed and easy herbal alchemy recipes, alongside an explanation of the spagyric process.
What are the twelve operations?
The twelve alchemical operations are set out one by one, with guidance on how each is executed.
Does it cover the planetary metals?
Yes — the seven alchemical metals and their corresponding planets, plus the plants and herbs held to contain specific planetary metals.
How long is it?
142 pages in hardcover, 9 x 6 inches.
Start with the elements. Everything else follows. #TempleOfDesire
