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author: Nicki Scully
I have worked with ritual and healing for many years now. For me, reading Alchemical Healing was like coming home - the wisdom and techniques that I had picked up over time from various sources were all brought together and then expanded into a wonderful system of healing that anyone can access if they are willing to put their effort into it.
Scully combines the worlds that I hold dear - shamanism, energetic healing, alchemy and spirituality. She does it in a manner that shows respect for the process, respect for the self, and respect for the person being healed. Scully also works in the manner of a master story teller - Alchemical Healing is a well thought out journey of how one builds the ability to allow themselves to heal, and then extends the process to healing others. She teaches by example - for each point that she wants to make, she refers to her own personal history, and to the history of her students/teachers/mentors. She writes from the heart - each example that she presents can easily be seen in the minds eye and felt in the heart.
Alchemical Healing is a workbook for the heart and the soul, a book meant to be lived, not simply read. Through a series of self initiations, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery through the world of alchemical healing, and is gifted with the ability to enter this realm and do the work themselves. My concern with material of this magnitude is along the lines of respect and intent: has the material been presented in such a manner that a true understanding of the energies that the healer is accessing comes through; is the process contained within a sacred space for the protection of all; is it made clear that the healer is a conduit, or channel for the healing energies, and not the originator of them; is proper respect shown for all of the energies that are involved in the healing process? Alchemical Healing passed with flying colors!
One of the first initiations in this book is to introduce and connect the student to the Egyptian God Thoth, who acts as Guide and Teacher for alchemical healing. This is an important initiation, because it is from this foundation that the alchemical healing system is built. This initiation, as well as the others presented in this book, it very precisely written to take the student on a sacred journey. I would advise taping the initiations - trying to read the initiation while you are going through it defeats the purpose, in my opinion.
The next initiation is a journey to set the intent within for commitment. The healer must be committed to the work that they are doing. Presented here is the concept of the seven directions (North, South, East, West, Above, Below and Within), and the purpose of give-away in the form of corn meal or tobacco in honoring the directions. This is an important part of creating sacred space for healing work. Scully recommends journaling your experiences after each journey, something that I heartily concur with. Your journal becomes your personal record of your path as a healer.
Scully enters deeply into the spiritual realm of healing. One of the issues that she deals with in Alchemical Healing is that of forgiveness - forgiving ourselves, forgiving others, and being willing to ask for forgiveness. She presents a meditation for forgiveness that I highly recommend for everyone - whether you want to be a healer yourself or not. We all need healing, on an infinite number of levels.
There are other intimations and journeys that gift the student with access to the worlds of the five elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Akasha, or Spirit), plant, animal and mineral allies, animal totems and Universal Life Force energy.
Advanced techniques include psychic surgery, distant healing and elemental balancing. Each technique is well presented, with the exact procedure of how it is to be done, what to expect when using it, how to call in an allie for help and much, much more. Just a hint - there is a procedure here for bringing in the template for health for any body area that existed previous to any injury or illness. "That" this can be done is a quantum leap in thinking - at least it was for me!
Alchemical Healing, true to its name, is all about the process of transformation - personal transformation. I highly recommend this book to anyone on a spiritual or healing path. You will come to understand the process of life better, the interconnections between all of life, and how to lead a balanced life by releasing that which is negative or harmful in any way.
Bonnie Cehovet
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