Description
The Spirits of Alchemy
Shamanic Journeys into the Living Art
Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm MDT
Dates: Every Tuesday from June 16 to September 29
Online Platform: Zoom
Prerequisite: None
Journey into the spirit world to connect with the wisdom and magic of the spirits of alchemy. Integrate what you receive into your everyday life through rituals. Alchemy is meant to be a living art. It’s not enough to know alchemy in theory. It is greater than a collection of abstract ideas and inert materials. Alchemy is full of spirits, ensouled archetypal presences, that help guide us.
Join Shamanic Practitioner, Stacey Couch, and four other spiritual seekers for this live online eight-session workshop on “The Spirits of Alchemy: Shamanic Journeys into the Living Art”.
- To start, we root into the foundations of alchemy – the elemental fire and the prima materia – and connect with what we want to transform. Blending the practical and philosophical, the shamanic journey allows us the opportunity to work with these spirits of alchemy in a grounded way allowing change to take place on all levels.
- Next, we meet the spirits of the materials in alchemy, that which the alchemists call the “seeds” of the work. These materials start with the essential triad – salt, sulfur, and mercury. Each of these materials has a spirit with a rich symbolic history. When we learn to work with these spirits, we discover how to balance our own energetic systems.
- Last, the spirits of the planetary metals in alchemy come in – lead, iron, copper, silver, and gold. Each shamanic journey to meet the spirits is accompanied by instructions for simple rituals to do at home. Practical application of these energies into your daily life is key.
All of these spirits of the materials connect to the planets in astrology, the intermediaries of the goddesses and gods. Throughout this workshop, the physical properties, astrological knowledge and rich symbolism of alchemy are woven together.
Through this workshop you discover which materials are organically arising in you. By the end, you have the connection, know-how, and confidence you need to experiment with these materials and their spirits on your own, so that you can continue on with this living artform.
Students in this workshop learn how to do a shamanic journey. They journey to another world where they safely and easily conduct alchemical work. It is one thing to think about the processes of alchemy, but another to experience it. When immersed in the waking dream of the shamanic journey, you can feel the fire and materials and work first hand. Workshop facilitator, Stacey Couch, expertly guides you through the process and helps uncover the magic of blending shamanism and alchemy.
To view the first meeting in your time zone visit the Time Zone Converter
For those of you outside the U.S. please keep any time changes you have in mind.
AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS – This class is at 8am on the days after those listed.
Included in this Workshop
TWO companion on-demand courses
- Heart of the Alchemist Archetype pre-recorded audio course * ($247 value)
- Guide to Shamanic Journeying pre-recorded audio course ($50 value)
And …
- 8 LIVE online workshop sessions facilitated Stacey Couch
- 8 shamanic journeys guided by Stacey Couch
- Full access to private chat supported by Stacey Couch
* Already purchased the Heart of the Alchemist Archetype course? Email Stacey to receive a coupon code for this workshop.
Participants are asked to watch the Guide to Shamanic Journeying prior to the start of the workshop. Once the workshop begins, there are portions of the Heart of the Alchemist Archetype course to listen to in between classes. There are 2-3 weeks between each class to allow plenty of time for independent study.
Workshop Topics
Discussion topics for the workshop are listed below. Topics and the order of topics are subject to change based on the flow of discussion and energy of the group:
Session 1 – Your Alchemical Fire
Our first shamanic journey, you learn about the inner fire that transforms you, and how to manage and work the heat. Directing of the fire was the most important aspect of alchemical work and alchemists tended their fires around the clock being careful that they didn’t blaze too hot and ruin the work or go out and halt the process.
Session 2 – The Prima Materia
We explore the imagery of the prima materia. Most people wrongly assume that the alchemical process always starts with lead. There are actually over 60 different starting materials in different alchemical recipes. For you, the prima materia is the suffering you are looking to transform. In this session, you meet the spirit of your current prima materia.
Session 3 – Salt: Grief, Old Wounds and Purging
The spirit of salt cleanses, stings and soothes. She is connected to the oceans, the Great Mother, and the moon. In meeting the spirit of salt, we connect with support through times of loss and grief. We are nurtured and held. The spirit of salt helps us also purge feelings of bitterness and regret.
Session4 – Sulfur: Passion, Vitality and Ambition
The spirit of sulfur is ambitious and explosive. Here we take action in the world and get things done. The spirit of sulfur helps us assert ourselves and follow our creative passions. With sulfur’s help, make a difference in the world. The spirit of sulfur also helps us notice times when volcanic anger and rage threaten to consume us.
Session 5 – Mercury: Mutability and the Trickster
The spirit of mercury has a long history of use in alchemy. Ancient Chinese alchemists considered it the underlying element of all creation and revered mercury in the form of cinnabar. The spirit of mercury teaches us flexibility and involves the trickster archetype. This spirit mediates between salt and sulfur providing a balance point to the two.
Session 6 – Lead & Iron: Exploring the Masculine
Here we meet lead and iron, two masculine spirits in the alchemical world. The spirit of lead is the planet Saturn and brings periods of melancholy and deep dives of the soul. The spirit of iron is the planet Mars, the Greek god Ares, and brings integral willpower and protection.
Session 7 – Copper & Silver: Exploring the Feminine
With these two feminine alchemical spirits, we connect with refined materials that glow, share, and receive. The spirit of copper is the planet Venus, and she is all about beauty, sweetness and warmth. The spirit of silver is the moon, and she brings resonance, emotional distance, and reflection.
Session 8 – The Goal & Closing Ceremony
In our final session, we journey to the spirit of union. There were countless names for the goal of alchemy from gold to philospher’s stone to stone of the orphan to elixir of life. Here you meet the expression of the spirit of union that best serves you at this time. We finish our time together with a closing ceremony.
Workshop Dates:
- June 16
- June 30
- July 21
- August 4
- August 18
- September 1
- September 15
- September 29
What is Alchemy?
The ancient art of alchemy holds wisdom for our work. Alchemy was once practiced all over the world with real fires, earthen vessels, and materials from nature. The alchemist often understood that their work was practical, literal work of cooking plants and minerals while also providing valuable metaphors for transcendence of the soul. What was happening in the work of transforming a material was symbolic of an inner process. Alchemy is a map of the spiritual path.
Alchemists are motivated to unite spirit and matter, to move from separation to union. They work to redeem the self, and ultimately the world, through a diligent process of purification and transformation.
Explore the ancient systems of alchemy and shamanism and see how they intertwine to facilitate inner growth. Blending the practical and philosophical, the shamanic journey allows us the opportunity to work with the images of alchemy in a grounded way allowing change to take place on all levels.
Students in this workshop learn how to do a shamanic journey. They journey to another world where they safely and easily conduct alchemical work. It is one thing to think about the processes of alchemy, but another to experience it. When immersed in the waking dream of the shamanic journey, you can feel the fire and materials and work first hand. Workshop facilitator, Stacey Couch, expertly guides you through the process and helps uncover the magic of blending shamanism and alchemy.
This workshop is right for you if you:
- Would like to learn more about shamanism and alchemy
- Want to know the ancient art of alchemy better
- Are interested in developing your shamanic journey skills
- Find yourself in a transformation or drawn to initiate one
- Appreciate the direction of a facilitator who creates a safe container for sharing
- Consider yourself a spiritual seeker
- Are looking to connect with others from around the world on the spiritual path
This workshop guided by Stacey provides a community for you and other seekers involved in deep transformation. Here you have an opportunity to talk, think, listen and feel through what you are experiencing. Stacey has over 20 years of experience leading groups in shamanic journeywork.
Talking with others about your interior life can be scary, especially when your experiences are different than those of the people around you. That’s the value of the being in a workshop with Stacey Couch. She provides a safe place to reveal conversations with your soul. Stacey holds a sacred space for you to share, for different ideas to arise, and for kinship and compassion beyond tolerance to grow. Her work is that of guiding you to the knowing that resides in your divinity.
In this workshop, we share our questions and consider possibilities. There is no doctrine, no right answer, and no one person smarter or wiser than the other. We all bring our own life experience and wisdom. In this space it is okay to not have the answers. In fact, that is the gentlest position. Rather than try to answer all of each other’s questions, we explore ideas and sit in wonder, wondering what is and sharing the little glimpses we each have the privilege to know.
Attendance is Strongly Encouraged
Please check your calendars carefully and be sure that you are available to attend each session. Since this workshop is for a small amount of people, your attendance is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED once you register.
Your participation is key to make this work.
In this digital era people tend to be more casual about online activities. That works really well for the mass presentations with one teacher speaking to hundreds of students online, but for small, intimate discussion groups like we are forming, live attendance is necessary to make this work.
Your fellow seekers need your voice and questions to enrich the experience. Out of respect for your fellow seekers, please don’t fail to show and take up the spot of someone who would have been able to attend and benefit from the discussion.
Please be sure to check your calendars and make sure that the times and dates work for you in your time zone. And be sure to reserve the time in your schedule. The fee for this small group workshop must be paid in advance and is non-refundable.
After each workshop, you receive an audio recording of the meeting to download via Dropbox. These recordings are available for download for 6 months following the workshop
One week prior to the event, you will receive an email with details on how to attend the event via your computer, mobile device or phone. It is preferred that you attend the event via video conference, but you can also call in by phone.
Cancellation Policy
There are no refunds for this workshop once you register unless your space can be filled. If you need to cancel and your spot in the workshop is able to be filled, you may receive the option of a refund minus a 5% processing fee.
Full enrollment is required for Stacey to hold this class. If the workshop does not fill, Stacey reserves the right to cancel the workshop and refund your full payment.
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