Chapter 1: The Phoenix Elixir; Fires of Creation, Waters of Life

The mythical and magical Phoenix that erupts into flames and is reborn from its ashes is as much allegorical as it is a legend.  Facing one’s inner fears and challenges is as much destructive as constructive.  It all comes down to internal and external balance.  Once achieved, the Phoenix or the individual’s personality and ego will erupt to be reborn a new.  Therefore, we too can take the form of the Phoenix and through the great work of internal alchemy create change.  Why would one work towards this work as it implies?  What is this alchemy?  The goal of this tome is to aid the reader to reach his or her highest potential.  In addition, the objective is to find and nurture the individual’s divine right to choose his or her path rather than the path choosing it for them.   

Phoenix Elixir:

The Phoenix elixir is a personal understanding of his or her macro and microcosm to create personal change. The macrocosm is the universe, cosmos, and world outside of us. The microcosm is the universe, cosmos and world inside of us. The work is towards balancing and integrating the two to create the philosophers stone, which is the golden apple of spiritual transcendence.  The goal of internal alchemy is to remove the gross (what is holding you back) from the pure (pure personal power) and by doing so accessing free will to choose.  The gross in this context are fears, subliminal wired concepts, and thoughts of division that separate us from the collective divine consciousness. Removing these will be of the greatest challenge but resulting in a lifetime of rewards.      

The best visualization I have for the Phoenix Elixir is the lifeblood of the earth known as lava. This substance is constructive and destructive and contains all the elements.  Lava flows are streams of molten rock that pour or ooze from an erupting vent in the earth’s crust (USGS, 2015).  From the steam/air, molten rock/earth, liquid flow/water and its burning essence/ fire, the lava illuminates light.  When we balance all elements, and the spiritual energy, we find the state of enlighten and transcended thought (light).  Our blood becomes the lava, and as the alchemist used containers to fuse and dilute all the elements, our body becomes the sacred container for this great work.

Our body and all things are made of the common elements: earth, fire, water, and air.  There is a fifth element that all living things have which is spirit.  The elements are prime materials needed to complete the great work.  On the next page is a list of properties for each element.  Each of the five has attributes or association to our mental, physical, and emotional health.  If an individual has communication problems; the individual is lacking the air element in their life.  If the individual lacks passion in their life, then the individual is out of balance with the element fire.  It is all about balance.    

 

 

 

Properties of the Elements:

 

  1. Air
  • Direction: East
  • Wind: Nodos
  • Symbols: winds, clouds, storms, and feathers
  • Colors: pastels, clear, blue, yellow, green
  • Plants: Aspen, Mistletoe, Palm Trees, Willow, tumbleweed
  • Stones: Moon Stones, Lapis, Sapphire, Tourmaline, Yellow Jade, Paradoug, Citrine, Fluorite, Agate and Opal
  • Incense: Sage, Frankincense, Dragons Blood, Delicate Flowers, Lilies
  • Metals: Aluminum, Tin, Light Silver, Titanium, Platinum
  • Season: Spring
  • Attributes: clearness of the mind, intelligence, communication, memory and wit

 

  1. Fire
  • Direction: South
  • Wind: Sol
  • Symbols: Lion, Phoenix, Salamander
  • Colors: scarlet, orange, gold, crimson, hot pink, yellow
  • Plants: Sunflower, Heliotrope, Chickweed, Cacti, Thorns, and Thistles
  • Stones: Fire Agate, Carnelian, Topaz, Ruby, Garnet, Yellow Diamond
  • Incense: Storax, Tobacco, Saffron, Cinnamon, Cloves, Curry, Sulpher, Dragons Blood
  • Metals: Steel, Forged Iron, Bronze, Forged Gold, Silver, Brass, married metals, Coins, Titanium, Electrum
  • Season: Summer
  • Attributes: Sexuality, Passion, Lust, Authority, Destruction, Purification, Evolution, Drive, Force of Will, Change

 

  1. Water
  • Direction: West
  • Wind: Zephyrus
  • Symbols: oceans, streams, rain, tears
  • Colors: deep blues, purple, mauve, deep greens
  • Plants: All water plants, Lillies, Reeds, Papyrus, Willows, Cat Tails, Seaweeds
  • Stones: Amethyst, Moon Stones, Deep purple or green colored rocks found in water or stream, Sea Glass, Opal
  • Incense: Jasmine, Lillie, Lotus, Magnolia, Gardenias, Honey Suckle
  • Metals: Quick Silver, Regular Silver, Rhodium, any plated item, Palladium
  • Season: Autumn
  • Attributes: Water, Bodily Fluids, Purification, Love and Emotions, Subconscious, Psychic Intuition and ability, Dreams and Visions, Creative Spirit

 

  1. Earth
  • Direction: North
  • Wind: Borieas
  • Symbols: images of mountains and trees
  • Colors: earth tones, greens, and browns
  • Plants: pine trees, oak, cedar, moss, roses, fennel
  • Stones: rock crystal, salt, emerald, barrel, jade, green and brown stones, black stones, hematite, onyx, blood stone
  • Incense: pine, cedar, any tree resin, myrrh, dragons blood, copal, rose
  • Metals: iron ore, copper, tin, galena, flint, any ore in raw form
  • Season: Winter
  • Attributes: time of winter, darkness, business, money, employment, prosperity, stability, fertility, strength, dependability, wealth, and abundance.

 

  1. Spirit
  • Direction: within
  • Wind: Anima
  • Symbols: crystals, pentacles, black egg
  • Colors: blue, green, black, dark grey
  • Plants: personal choice
  • Stones: black stones, onyx, jet, any stone you can put energy into
  • Incense: personal choice
  • Metals: personal choice
  • Season: All
  • Attributes: Magic of the self, any personal magic

 

 

 

Fires of Creation, Waters of Life:

Ideas are not simply fire and water but the ignition of neurons and illumination within the mind.  In order to create, there must be a source or spark fueled by a desire or goal.  In addition, there must be a current to keep the goal liquid in its state.  If the goal, simmers and cools quickly the goal would harden and the container would crack.  Therefore, each goal and desire must be nurtured, and through a process of forming come to completion.  It is not as complex as it sounds.  Simply writing goals down on paper and placing them on a visible wall surface would suffice. 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 1: Watery Desire, Creative Fire Ritual Dance

  1. Make a list of ten desires/goals that you wish to complete this year. This will be an area of focus of your personal great work.

 

 

Ritual Dance Prep:

  1. Unplug or turn off the phone, and make sure you will not be disturbed and ground and center.
  2. This exercise can be done alone or with additional partners
  3. Make a copy of your list of goals/desires and bring it with you. You will be burning the paper and placing it in a bowl that has a lid to contain the paper. 
  4. Make sure you have proper ventilation in your place, if possible, try this ritual outside.
  5. Put on some exotic or music to dance to
  6. In the middle of your space, place a dinner plate with a pillar candle on it.
  7. Cast a sacred space or circle around you. (See visualization exercises)
  8. Cleanse the circle with earth, air, fire and water….and smudge stick (white sage or copal)
  9. Light the candle

 

Ritual Dance

a. If alone

  1. Call out these words: Great Universe I set in motion this day my goals and desires and through this ritual lay the foundation I require
  2. Look at the flame and begin to dance around it to the music
  3. This is a form of trance dance, let your body feel the moves
  4. As you dance, feel the heat rising
  5. Twice carefully step over the flame so that you feel the

                             warmth of its glow.

  1. After dancing at-least 13 times around the candle, lift your hands up,

                             like your lifting a box and with a quick turning of your hands point

                             towards the bowl and visualize fire flowing from your hands into the

                              bowl.

  1. Quickly take the paper and use the candle to light it on fire, wait until a

     portion is on fire and then place it in the bowl

  1. Call out these words: Great Universe, as my witness the seeds are

     Planted; let my goals and desires be granted.

 

B. With Company

  1. Each hold up your arms and call out these words: Great Universe I set

     in motion this day my goals and desires and through this ritual a   foundation I require

  1. Lock arms with each other and then slowly move to the left and right three times and the let your arms raise to the air. Then let go of each other and dance to your own rhythm. Feel the moves. Dance around the candle at least thirteen times and then all come together at a standstill.

                       

  1. Lift your hands up like your lifting a box and with a quick turning of

      hands, point towards the bowl and visualize fire flowing from your

     hands into the bowl.

  1. Quickly take the papers and use the candle to light each on fire, wait

                             until a portion is on fire and then place it in the bowl

  1. Call out these words: Great Universe, as my witness the seeds are

     planted, let my goals and desires be granted. End with personal closing: (Amen, Amet Iset, Aho, So mote it be, etc.)

 

  1. Ritual Closing
    1. Cleanse the space with Smudge stick
    2. Put the candle out
  • Close the Circle
  1. Take the ashes from the ritual and sprinkle them on your yard or outside your living location.
  2. Write down in the following journal notes section your experience and date of ritual

 

Journal Notes:                                                                                   Date:______________