Creating an alchemical or spagyric product is not only simple, it is also among the highest and most rewarding activities that a student of occultism can accomplish. In the creation of a "Stone," even in the vegetable kingdom, the symbolic balancing of the elements is the basis for its functional reality. With the harmonizing of the plant's sulphur, salt, and mercury, the herb is perfected in its potential use as a medium of etheric and astral energy. Through its effects on the etheric body and its energy, physical health and wellness can be maintained or restored. A Plant Stone's impact on the astral energies acts upon the subconscious of the alchemist, opening up gateways to expanded levels of consciousness. It is not uncommon, even at this early stage of practice, for many students to report deeper meditative states, increased dreaming, and improved memory upon awakening. Lucid dreaming and astral projection are also possible, thereby demonstrating the subtle but profound potential of these simple herbal products. These experiences also increase aspiring alchemists' confidence in the work they are undertaking and may even energize them to pursue the more complex and dramatically rewarding work of mineral alchemy.
There are many ways of making a Vegetable Stone, running from the simple to the complex, and each has its own advantages and drawbacks. For brevity, as well as the increased possibility of success, this chapter will outline several simple methods. Only experience will help decide which method is best for you.
The effects of the Stone, as suggested previously, are both spiritual and material. While physical health maybe affected, the primary purpose, at this stage, is to open up a wider range of consciousness to the student. The Stone's effects also represent, in their own fashion, a certain degree of mastery of the "vegetable" nature by the individual who created them. They can be a profound and powerful gateway to the astral realm, and they may take us to the doors of genuine lasting initiation into the archetypal realm (or the animal-Nephesch soul in Qabala). The creation of all seven planetary Stones, and their perfection, represents a physical demonstration of the student's mastery of the Lower Astral (or Yetziric) World in Qabala.