The Elixir

A silence falls

cast’d ethereal darkness across the peopled plain.

Nothing stirs,

all intent on torch-lights, reddened, six-fold,

 that twinkle afore our collective eye.

Muttering

from vested, steadfast lips yonder.

Then behold,

amid incense-smoke swaddled,

the tri-part bell’s clarion trill announce,

a chalice alift and declared thus:

the blood of God,

whence partaken, life eternal bestow’d.

I

before the True Alchemy bow’d.

Wretched

my soul sent aloft desirous

swore that from this elixir,

I shall henceforth

never be kept.

 

 

“The Celestial Liturgy” – By Rachel M Gohlman (me)

The Stone

 

                                                                           

What elements are they that Aristotle named “Earth, water,

Wind, and fire”?

That the Chinese added to them wood and metal?

To which theologians added “life”?

What is life but a mixture of airs, nutrients and waters?

That the Latins called anima?

That the French called vie?

Is it all originated from a spirit, a soul, an earthly body or a brilliant mind?

Most importantly, does it think or sing?

Why do the great laws of conservation of matter and of

energy not apply to a man’s life?

Truly, his bones are rented. His blood borrowed from iron in the dirt.

He seeks transmutation: transforming a foul thing into one

Thing that is glorious…but reaches it not.

Who did the elements assemble from clamor and could men

Tear them asunder or perhaps make them anew.

Man took his ideas of power and purity and fashioned the

Philosopher’s Stone.

Formed of salt, which is earthly wisdom, lead, which is earthly flesh and mercury that represents that mysterious, ungraspable spirit.

Even as the stone was transforming all it touched intp purest gold; it

Could not render water into wine- nor wine into blood.

It could not make a criminal innocent, a man a child or

a harlot virgin again.

The stone was not the True Stone…it perfected not.

All who drew gold produced thereof, died on grief.

Amongst all alchemists was the formula lost.

Both noblemen and beggars would seek after it but not find.

Later, the elements found in our world summed to 92.

Metals, liquids and airs.

Those necessary for life were called “Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen.”

The earth found to be made of many things, water but 

two of these.

Fire, pure energy and wind a light mixture.

All matter had a name and could be torn apart.

Still, the True Stone, that key to the spirit, eludes us.

Consumes in our hands, our spirit forgotten, lying in the

earth besides long-gone recipes for transformation.

We seek more stones, herbs and formulae which lead to immortality- but as in days past, find only false gold and greed.

Now do men desert their singing and thinking spirit.

Their laws disharmonious to matter; not creating,

Conserving too much or not conserving anything.

Cherishing the earthly body, earthly will  and not the silent song within all our flesh, we guard our gold.

We wish not to create anymore.

The life starves, yet even as we search our bodies, our minds and

lone corners for that Stone, that sweet elixir.

Because we know our minds and bodies and no power outside of their self,

we forever seek; unto ends of the earth and amongst the silent elements

~ and shall never find.

Of Chemicals and Their Constituents

Of Chemicals and Constituents…

Factus de materia cinis elementi. – “Created from the material of the ashes of the elements.”

I.) Your 92 elements to construct our natural world, your atoms are of varying radii, weights and personalities.You are aromas, colors and textures. Molecules.

Hydrogen, hot-blooded, volatile and promiscuous, makes one bond. Carbon, cold, aloof and wary, forms four.

Iron, stern metal unbreakable except from work and weather’s wear.Oxygen, invisible, holds us together.O’ solvents, solutions and fumes.

Alchemy, transformed sorcery into science.You are precious as gold; ordinary.

Who made and arranged you? God, Mendeleev orLavoisier puttering about his lab?Atoms, they split, reform and substitute to find themselves.

You are fuel, our poison, our cure.Acids, bases, distillations and titrations. Not created or destroyed andforever conserved.

May we never know surely your endless processes.