“Therefore, learn Alchimiam, otherwise known as Spagyria, which teaches you to separate the false from the true.” — Paracelsus
Esoteric medical teaching and alchemical medicines have existed for thousands of years in the East and the West. The alchemical tradition of the West had its origins in the hermeticism of Egypt, whose secrets, taught in the temples of Memphis and Thebes, were reserved for kings and priests. The esoteric wisdom and practical application of alchemy were later (re-) introduced into Christianized Europe by the Arabs.
During the Renaissance, spagyric medicine was founded by Paracelsus [Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-1541)], a German Swiss philosopher, alchemist, astrologer, and physician. He coined the term “spagyria” to describe the application of alchemical working methods to the production of medicines. Spagyria is a Greek word combining the concepts of spaō (to draw out, to divide) and ageiro (to gather, to bind, to join).
Paracelsus presented the four pillars of medicine in his work, “Paragranum” (1530):
- natural philosophy as the science of the things dwelling in nature;
- astrology as the science of the interplay between cosmos and man;
- alchemy as the science of the purification and transformation of matter;
- the virtue of the physician.
“The third foundation upon which medicine rests is alchemy. If the physician does not have good ability and experience in it, his art is in vain.” — Paracelsus
Paracelsus travelled widely, successfully healing many patients using alchemical (spagyric) medicines, and teaching other physicians and students what he had learned through his studies and clinical experience. He was also a prolific writer. Today Paracelsus’ collected writings fill 30 volumes, not including lost writings. In this way alchemical medicines were (re-)introduced into Western culture and have become a cornerstone of traditional European medicine since the Renaissance.
In his introduction to Brian Cotnoir’s Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy, James Wasserman writes:
“We are tracing the footsteps of historical heroes who risked life and limb to plumb the secret depths of Sacred Nature. And who did so while enflamed in prayer…. The failing of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment movement was its embrace of hyper-rationalism. The empirical imperative turned True Science on its head. The scientist/adept was forced to deny the sense of humility and wonder that his research engendered. The love for the Creator who fashioned the miracle of matter was relegated to the superstitions of the past.”
In the intervening centuries, these important elements of healing and medicine have been consistently included in the worldview and clinical practice of insightful healers and naturopathic doctors, many of whom have had to face strong opposition as they kept the light aflame. At the same time, the spiritual dimension and cosmic influences were lost sight of in the conventional medicine taught and practiced from an increasingly materialistic worldview.
The sacred has been forgotten in what has become conventional medical practice, driven by unhealthy social forces, with its synthetic drugs and vaccines, frequently accompanied by toxic side-effects; cold, technological diagnostics; impersonal robotic surgery; etc.
Investor greed; monopolistic corporate giants; healthcare administered based on factory production principles; impatient patients who want quick fixes, no matter how temporary; and over-stressed physicians, nurses, clerical and custodial staff have created a toxic mainstream medical environment which works against the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of providers and patients.
A Healthier Future with Integrative Medicine
As the 21st century continues to unfold, however, more and more medical school professors and established providers of conventional medicine have started to look beyond standard academic medical training to learn more about nutrition, herbalism, alchemical medicines, and spiritual and energy healing.
The current popularity of Yoga, Ayurveda, Tai ji, Qigong, Reiki, shamanism, ethnobotanicals, etc. is helping to awaken people’s hearts and minds to a the spiritual wisdom beyond the confines of the concrete mind and brain, and to perception of multiple dimensions of Reality beyond the physical.
Increasingly in many medical training programs, what used to be called alternative or complementary medicine is receiving recognition as a vital component of integrative medicine. More and more clinics and hospitals are offering a broader spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities This all represents a few small steps in the right direction.
Spagyric Medicine Today
My personal and clinic experience has taught me there can be no deep healing and transformation without conscious co-operation with the Divine. Over and over again. It may not always be conscious in the healthcare provider and/or the patient, but it is always there.
In line with this, Jean Dubuis (1919-2010), a renowned 20th-century French esotericist, qabalist and alchemist, stated:
“An Alchemist cannot be an atheist; he must be a spiritual being. Whatever the nature of his belief, religion, and esoteric method or personal doctrine, it is important for him to start each working cycle, whether meditative or experimental, with an invocation and to close it with a prayer of thanks to God, the Cosmic Unity.”
Manfred Junius describes the difference between spagyric remedies and non-alchemical nutritional and herbal preparations thus:
“Ordinary tinctures, infusions, decoctions, and the like utilize, in part, the curative powers of the plants from which they are prepared. The spagyric preparation ‘opens’ the plant and by its own process liberates stronger curative powers. It is in principle synergetic, and less interested in isolated pharmacologically active principles. We cannot do justice to the methodology of spagyrics if we measure it according to the standards of analytical chemistry or pharmacology.”
Spagyric remedies are still produced and prescribed today, particularly in Europe. For example, the Swiss firm, Heidak AG, is an excellent source for these medicines. In North America, there are a number of small, independent producers, such as Organic Unity.
I include spagyric medicines as a part of the integrative medical plans I create for patients, when available and where therapeutically appropriate.
Rediscover and embrace the Divine in yourself, in the natural and spiritual worlds. The lifestyle and healthcare choices you make either facilitate or impede your growth and development as a human being comprised of spirit, soul, and body.
In our next article on Spagyrics, we will focus on the alchemical work of Alexander von Bernus and Laboratorium Soluna medicines.
With the Light and Warmth of the soul and heart,
Joseph Michael Contrada
Teacher, Healer
Heilpraktiker (Lic. German Healthcare and Psychotherapy Provider)
Medical Philosopher and Journalist
(Re-)sources:
Brian Cotnoir, ed. James Wasserman, The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy
Heidak AG: “Spagyrik – Herstellung und Anwendung” (Video)
Jean Dubuis, Spagyrics: A Practical Course in Plant Alchemy
Manfred M. Junius, Spagyrics: The Alchemical Preparation of Medicinal Essences, Tinctures, and Elixirs
Sajah Popham, School of Evolutionary Herbalism, “Spagyrics, Ancient Medicine for the Modern World” (Video)
University of Zürich Paracelsus Project
Image credit: Painting entitled “The Alchemist” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (British Museum)
Updated 26 July 2019, 26 October 2020 and 6 March 2022