There is an alchemy in sorrow. It can be transmuted into wisdom, which,
if it does not bring joy, can yet bring happiness.  ~ Pearl S. Buck

Alchemy is really the secret tradition of the redemption of spirit from matter.  ~ Terence McKenna

The contract I made with myself four years ago is complete. In November 2016, following the election, I committed to sending out an email  filled with Light every day that Trump was in office. As my way of counterbalancing the energy. I figured quality of power mattered more than quantity of power.

So now, we move on. I have thought long and hard about whether to continue this multi-year series of emails entitled Grounded Light. Ultimately, given the threats from lethal viruses we face – especially Covid-19 at the personal level and White Supremacy at the societal level – I have decided to continue but am adding some new freedom for myself. Rather than a commitment to frequency and duration along with creativity and energy, I commit to allowing creativity and energy to lead the way.

Lead into Gold. The title refers to the ancient and more than ever relevant art of alchemy. Alchemy is where science and magic intersect. The ancient alchemists knew this. In its literal sense, alchemy is about transforming a base metal like lead or copper into a precious metal like gold or silver using fire to burn off the dross (unwanted or waste material). In its deeper sense, alchemy is about lifting and transforming ourselves and the world: spiritual alchemy.

As a prime example, we can look to this moment. How do we / will we / can we turn the devastating, out of control, leaden pandemic into gold? Science plays a part for sure. But, while critical, I view it as insufficient. What parts do magic, mystery, and miracles play? How is this collective experience evolving us, strengthening us? It has such powerful impacts on physical families – especially our children and the elderly. We can see that; we can calculate it. But it also has significant impacts on our non-physical psyches. Homicides are up. Suicides are up. There MUST be hidden gifts at the spiritual level, the level of each soul as well as The Soul of the World. How can we / will we find them?

Perhaps nothing will be all that different in the coming year from the past four years. If that’s so, then why change the title? Simply put, a new title changes the perspective. Note the photos of the hammocks above.

The territory of this exploration is boundless. It is so vast that we can never see or describe its wholeness at one time. It’s vast like the Grand Canyon is vast. If you look out from the North Rim, you see the same Grand Canyon as you would if you looked out from the South Rim. The underlying structure of the canyon is the same throughout but the point of view, the vantage point literally, is quite different. Just that affects our perception and our perspective.

So, together, let’s see what emerges.

Photos by Barbara
Hidden Beach, Cedar Lake
Minneapolis, MN