Aurum Potable - An Alchemical Process
A true aurum potable - (Latin for "drinkable gold") - is a rare and special thing, for people living in any age. The power of herbs and their medicinal properties is well known to pharmacology and the public. However extracting the medicinal qualities of minerals and metals is an art still reserved to alchemy and the few, for various reasons. So what is it that distinguishes a true alchemical extract from other preparations? This article will accompany the gallery on the right.
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For starters, an alchemical extract of gold does not contain any actual gold in it. The same is true of any alchemical metallic extract - there should be no metal present in the final preparation. Some products out there claiming to be extracts of gold are actually colloidal. What is a colloidal? It is when a metal is broken down into very small (nano) particles and put into a liquid suspension. So when you drink a colloidal, you are actually drinking a metal. This is not good for you, sometimes it is toxic; with the exception of iron and trace minerals we do not need these metals for survival. Our alchemical metallic preparations are not colloidals.
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In alchemy, whatever kingdom we are working in - be it animal, vegetable or mineral, the colour/soul/medicinal profile of a particular thing is found in a substance we extract that resembles (but is not always chemically speaking) an oil. This oil contains the consciousness or personality of the material. In the completed extract of gold ( in the gallery above), the colour you can see is the soul, the medicinal qualities of the gold, but there is no actual gold in the finished product. This is one of the mysteries of alchemy - the ability for the operator to separate the soul (colour) from the body (matter). Stephanos of Alexandria said “Alchemy is the art of separating bodies from souls”. So an alchemical extract will have the soul (colour) of the gold in it but not the body (the gold itself).
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From a scientific perspective, Aurum Potable is made from a catalytic reaction between the gold and the menstruum - a secret and specially prepared solvent from the tradition of Hermetic alchemy. In a final act of magic, when a true alchemical gold tincturing process is complete after digesting for one solar cycle (a year), an alchemist gets his/her gold back because it is no longer in solution, and they can reuse it again many many times. You can see this in images 7 of 9 above where, the gold has settled out at the bottom of the flask after extraction.
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Another important test on anything claiming to be an alchemical extract is to put a drop of it on a copper plate. If, over time, the plate corrodes, it is not safe to drink. Some oils sold have not reached full maturation and can be unsafe. This is a simple, age old test to check whether the tincture still contains any corrosives. You can also test oils with pH paper to be sure they are not too acidic or alkaline.
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In alchemy we seek to test and replicate not just physical creation of life like in science, but also the spiritual qualities inherent. We come to know through our work that mind and matter are inextricably connected – they are two sides of the One. As we work on something it works on us, and there are also many subtle levels where consciousness interacts with the physical. The end product is a physical embodiment of the journey of this inner work. We encourage anyone curious or doubtful to test this concept by doing the work themselves via this ancient and well trodden path.
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The traditional practice in alchemy of working with and ingesting gold connects someone with their own inner sun, that place we feel blessed, radiant, full of vitality, a source of light, glory and “ruling” our domain inner and outer. For “As above, so below” says the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. Gold has a strong resonance with the heart as the Sun and gold exists on this correspondence. For ancient Egyptians, it was used to help build the astral body.
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Sol Invictus!
