Practical Wisdom: Personal Alchemy

I’m always looking for a good metaphor – and personal growth, when explained with a metaphor, is often easier to grasp.  My metaphor today is “Alchemy.” 

You’ve probably heard of alchemy—the ancient idea of turning lead into gold. It sounds like magic, but at its core, alchemy is about so much more than metals and chemistry. It's about us—about transforming the heavy, dense parts of ourselves into something radiant and free. (And in today’s world, “radiant and free” is a very worthy pursuit!)

We all carry a bit of “lead” inside. It shows up as resentment, worry, frustration, or that little voice that loves to complain. It’s the part of us that feels stuck, weighed down, or separate from something greater. It's low frequency living.

And we also carry gold—the love, wisdom, and deep sense of connection that comes when we’re living at our highest, most harmonious frequency.

The beauty of alchemy is that it teaches us transformation is possible. We’re not stuck. We can shift from a lower vibration—one filled with anger, doubt, or fear—to something lighter, brighter, and more aligned with divine intelligence.

(Note: Alchemy is a big topic, and people have lots of different interpretations about how it works. This is mine. It’s simplified and useful. I hope it gives you a practical way to think about transformation in your own life.)

So, let’s turn lead into gold—not in a laboratory, but in our hearts and minds.

Step One: Burning Away What No Longer Serves

The first stage of alchemy is calcination, which is basically burning away everything that isn’t essential.

For us, this means looking at the beliefs, fears, and patterns that keep us small. What’s weighing you down? What old stories are you telling yourself that no longer serve you? I was out at dinner with a new friend and explaining the ancient history of my fear of riding a motorbike.  He said, “Well, do you want to hold onto that old story or create a new one?” At first, I felt a little stunned that he questioned my rationalization, but then I realized what a gift the question was!

The calcination stage can feel uncomfortable. It might involve a wake-up call, a challenge, a loss, or a moment where you realize something could be changed. When we allow our outdated beliefs to burn away, we create space for something new to emerge.

Step Two: Letting Go of Control

Once the excess has burned off, the next step is dissolution—breaking things down even further. In personal transformation, this means surrendering.

I love to control things, and most of us feel safer when we do. Too often, we try to make people behave a certain way. We resist change and hold onto ideas about how life should be. But real transformation happens when we soften, trust, and let go.

This is the moment when we stop gripping so tightly and start flowing with life instead of fighting it.

Step Three: Sorting Through What’s Left

After letting go, we reach separation—the process of choosing what stays and what goes.

Not everything from our past is bad. Some experiences, beliefs, and relationships are worth keeping. But others? Not so much.

Ask yourself:

• What thoughts, habits, or relationships lift me up?
• What drains me?
• What am I ready to release?

This is where we get intentional about the energy we allow into our lives.

Step Four: Weaving New Wisdom into Everyday Life

Now comes conjunction—the step where things start coming together in a new way.

You’ve let go of what wasn’t working. You’ve chosen what you want to keep. Now, how do you integrate those changes into daily life?

This isn’t about one big, dramatic transformation. It’s about showing up differently, little by little, every day. Maybe you catch yourself before reacting in anger. Maybe you replace worry with trust. Maybe you practice gratitude instead of focusing on what’s wrong.

It’s in these small, conscious choices that start turning the lead of life into gold.

Step Five: Awakening Something New

At this stage—fermentation—transformation really starts to take hold.

This is when you begin to feel different. Lighter. More open. More connected. You might notice synchronicities happening, or a deep sense of peace settling in.

It’s the moment when you realize that joy isn’t something you have to chase—it’s inherent.  You get to it when you shift how you see the world.

Step Six: Refining the Gold

Even after gold is created, it still has to be purified. That’s where distillation comes in—the ongoing process of refining, elevating, and deepening the transformation.

For us, this means sticking with the practices that keep us aligned. Meditation, prayer, time in nature, acts of kindness—these are the things that keep us vibrating at a higher frequency.

If we don’t maintain our practice, we slip back into old habits. That’s why this step is essential. It’s about making sure we don’t just visit our higher self—we live there.

Step Seven: Becoming the Gold

The final stage—coagulation—is when the transformation is complete. The lead is gone. The gold is fully realized.

For us, this means embodying the love, wisdom, and harmony we’ve been working toward. We no longer have to try to be compassionate, joyful, or connected—we are those things.

It doesn’t mean life is perfect. But it does mean we meet life with a completely different energy—one rooted in trust, love, and deep inner peace.

Your Invitation to Transform

That’s a lot of information, so let me simplify and condense this for you. Use these steps to turn lead into gold in your life - for personal transformation:

• Let go of old baggage (Calcination) – Drop the fears and stories that hold you back.
• Stop forcing things (Dissolution) – Trust life instead of trying to control everything.
• Keep what lifts you up (Separation) – Let go of what drains you.
• Live what you’ve learned (Conjunction) – Put your insights into daily action.
• Feel the shift (Fermentation) – Notice when joy and ease start showing up.
• Stick with it (Distillation) – Keep up the habits that keep you growing.
• Be the gold (Coagulation) – Show up as your best, truest self.

That’s how alchemical transformation happens—one step at a time. And this ancient metaphor provides us with a proven path to living a more satisfying and joy-filled life!

Hmmm – should I try riding a motorbike again? I’m still pondering!  I’d love to know your thoughts!