Alchemy : The Art of Transformation

Alchemy is best known as the age-old science of turning base metal into gold.But it is much more: essentially, it is a path of self-knowledge, unique in the Western tradition, with vital relevance for the modern world.The symbols of Alchemy lie deep in the collective unconscious, in the world of dreams and imagery: the practices of alchemy are rooted in an understanding of the oneness of spirit and matter through which we celebrate our sexuality and spirituality.Jay Ramsay takes us step by step through the stages of the alche-mical process using a wide range of original exercises to create a memorable journey that challenges, inspitres and transforms us at every stage.We too can be kings and queens: we too, once we leave our dross behind, are gold.It's full of fi ne things... --Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate 1984-1998, playwright and author.So much good work... --Robert Bly, award winning poet, essayist, activist and author.Jay Ramsay has written a luminous and wise guide to the mysteries of soul, and to the images and texts of alchemy, which explores these mysteries... --Anne Baring, philosopher, visionary and author of several books including: The Dream of the Cosmos: a Quest for the Soul and The Myth of the Goddess.Ramsay is among those who have been working most assiduously to share this archetypal language of the soul... --Lindsay Clarke, review in Caduceus. The clearest account of the alchemical process I've read... --Peter Redgrove, poet, novelist and playwright. Extremely wonderful and important... --Robert Sardello, author and co-founder of The School of Spiritual Psychology.