CHAPTER OVERVIEW
• Why We Seek Health
Spirituality and Physical Wellness
• Plants, Ruling Planets, and Potential Uses
For many, the alchemical path begins because they are seeking gold; for others, long life; and for some, to heal themselves or those they love of sickness. In the end, all undertake the alchemical journey with the hope-better still, the burning desire-to end pain and suffering in their lives or for others. Even in its most basic aspect, the desire for long life (if not immortality) and infinite riches has, at its root, the desire to end suffering in some form. This is important, because all of these aspects-wisdom, wealth, health, and the power and responsibility they bring-are under the domain of Jupiter.
These four properties of Jupiter-health, wealth, wisdom, and power-can be interpreted as the four elemental qualities of Jupiter. Health is water, wisdom is air, wealth is earth, and power is fire. Combined and in harmony, they represent the divine plan, or the blueprint for our life as we imagine it. Yet there is a trick. These very things we seek, we cannot seek for ourselves alone, but for all of humanity. Our actions must be based in a broad and tolerant love-but not foolish or incredulous-and we must seek to be of service to the greater evolution of all life.
To be an alchemist, a true alchemist of this level, is to undertake the equivalent of the Bodhisattva's vow, wherein we live to assist others in their becoming, and not for any purely selfish reasons.
In this respect, we cannot seek health simply because we do not wish to be sick or because we are afraid of death. Health is our natural and active state, and it must be maintained by kind, loving, and generous thoughts, feelings, and actions. If we are to live and be supported by this planet, we need to demonstrate that our continued life is of value. We need to demonstrate that we are more than just eating, sleeping, and sensation-seeking machines, but rather that we can integrate the highest values with the most basic acts and be an example of practical spirituality to those around us. In harmonizing our outer life with our innermost dreams, we experience health and life as a natural expression of who we are. Alchemists use plant and mineral products to help achieve this state of harmony and, with it, reflect the Hermetic axiom "As above, so below."