In order to get a better understanding here of what is meant by alchemy being the art of evolution, we should take a look at the five basic tenets of alchemy, which are:
1) That the entire universe is divine in origin. Therefore Wisdom and Guidance must be sought from the source from which all creation flows.
2) That all organisms, no matter how subtle or gross they are, have within them the divine spark of life and are interrelated with each other. It is therefore our task to understand this kinship, so that we may utilize inspired knowledge to aid in our understanding of how to prepare the quintessence of our matter.
3) That all organisms are in a state of constant evolution as they continue their synthesis towards perfection. Upon reaching an understanding of tenet (2) the true work begins, i.e. , the aiding of nature by the art of alchemy to reach its highest point of perfection.
4) That humans are a part of the universe. Therefore, they are divine in origin and they can affect all organisms on all spheres of existence by their actions or inaction.
5) That humans, by understanding the basic laws that govern their beings and conversely the entire universe may learn to recognize the divine spark of vital energy in all organisms, isolate it, purify it, and manipulate it to speed up the processes of evolution.
These five tenets propose there is a system whereby humans can learn about the universe from its subtlest intimations to its grossest manifestations. It says that by knowing the self, one can know the One the All (or as close as the human mind can come to recognizing it) and in fact bring about physical changes and manifestations by a lawful application of the system's rules. These statements are true, although the degree to which they become manifested in any one life depends entirely upon the individual applying them and the amount of diligence with which they approach their task. Yet one must get started somewhere on this road. So let us begin together.
