Like magic, alchemy seeks to demonstrate the reality of cosmic truths in the daily life of its practitioners. While a nominal amount of Qabala and astrology are traditionally studied in concert with practical alchemy, students of any system of magic will quickly see the relationship between magic and alchemy, the most obvious and useful of these links being between what we often call natural magic and the creation of specialized herbal tinctures. Natural magic is the use of astrological and planetary cycles in connection with magical or alchemical experiments to direct the greatest amount of psychic energy with the least amount of effort. When applied to the creation of alchemical products from herbs, the process is known as spagyrics and is only slightly more complicated than making standard herbal products-the key difference being in the Hermetic practice of "separating the gross from the subtle."
This separation is energetically similar, if not identical, to the processes of banishing and invoking done in ritual magic, preparing tools for consecration, and creating a talisman. In an alchemical product, however, once the process of separating (banishing) and recombining (invoking) is completed, the process will repeat and will continue on its own until the next phase of the work is undertaken. Through the use of simple and well-known astrological and Qabalistic laws, the process of refining the energetic content and structure of an alchemical product, be it herbal or mineral, will continue on its own after the alchemist has initiated the process. This leaves the alchemist time to work on other aspects of his or her development, or other alchemical projects. Once made, the energy of the spagyric product does not dissipate over time, and in some instances it actually increases, unlike the energy of talismans, which must be repeatedly recharged to be of use.
The study of astrology, for the timing of experiments, and the use of esoteric meditation, for the raising of spiritual energy known as the Secret Fire (or kundalini in yoga), are part of the alchemist's discipline. The alchemist is in essence a mystic, an astrologer, and a magician. This is a critical point, for to attempt to separate out the physical actions of the alchemist without the interior exercises is to reduce alchemy to mundane chemistry. For alchemy to be alchemy, the divine aspect must always be present in the consciousness of the operator. To assist in this critical interior part of alchemy, this book includes extensive meditations and visualizations to assist in building the psychic bridge between the inner and outer worlds of the aspiring alchemist. These meditations are based upon the principles of natural magic, making them simple, direct, easy to practice, and beneficial to anyone regardless of his or her main spiritual path-be it Qabala, Wicca, or Neopaganism.