Every once in a while you find a book that has jewels of information on every page. Alchemical Psychology: Old Recipes for Living in a New World by Thom F. Cavalli, Ph.D., is such a book. The other day I was marking yet another quote from it and realized I had 18 quotes marked already. Any more quotes and I'd have to ask the author's permission to reproduce the book. Instead I strongly recommend that you purchase it. It's for sale at Amazon.com for $12.97. Search for "Cavalli" or "Alchemical Psychology.

Follow up:

Quoting his book's Foreword, written by Robert A. Johnson--

I have spent many years telling stories that teach people, young and old, important lessons about how we mature into complete individuals. These stories are taken from mythology, a subject hardly taught in schools anymore but one that is a treasure-house of wisdom. Myths need retelling especially now that it has become so easy to be distracted from them by computer games, special-effects movies and the tabloid media. These do more to titillate our senses that challenge us in any meaningful way. They stimulate us to excess and rob us of the need to wonder, dwell and actively use our imagination. The old myths are changed every time they are told. One of the oldest myths I know is alchemy; it is a wild adventure story of intrigue and mystery.

Alchemy is a combination of magic, science, religion, mythology and
psychology. No one knows its origin and no one can predict its future. Just when you think alchemy has ended it reappears. This has happened at least twice in modern times. In the scientific area, alchemy transformed into chemistry. Much of alchemy's lore was discarded with this change. Chemistry is an objective science. Perhaps the magic and mystery of alchemy found its way into psychology. This marked alchemy's second introduction into modern times. Toward the end of his career, C. G. Jung devoted three major volumes of research to an intensive exploration of the unconscious using alchemy as his model. In these complex works we discover riddles and recipes, signs and symbols, incredible images. Jung's works are no less easy to understand than the formulas found in an advanced biochemistry textbook.

When we try to follow the convoluted logic of alchemy we typically end up in knots. Even in its modern versions, the subject becomes abstract. It is easy to lose sight of the real gold, what alchemy has to do with our everyday experiences. It seems that the student of this ancient practice is either a fool or a very wise person. The author of this book is a bit of a royal fool and a wise alchemist. Above all he is a psychologist, and in a daring attempt to keep our heads from getting lost in the clouds and our feet agile he gives us an accessible guidebook on the royal art. I expect his book will frustrate the rational scientist and annoy some artists. This is how it is whenever we try to capture the awesome beauty of Nature. This book hits us right between the eyes, that place where everything comes together. It is intended for all of us who, wanting it or not, are on a path to wholeness.

Nature pulls us in many directions, causing confusion and contradiction when we try to define her absolute laws. We would like to think that splitting alchemy between chemistry and psychology is the solution. It's not. Each has a hand on the same elephant, describing only a small part of this magnificent beast. The more science delves into the mysteries of nature the more it realizes how much psychology plays a critical role. Of course the converse is equally true: the more psychology peers into matter the more it must rely on objective science to get the whole story. Like the yin-yang symbol, each of the two halves contains a bit of the other. This is the way of alchemy! It returns us back to wholeness.

Today the practice of alchemy seldom involves laboratory work. The wholeness we seek more commonly comes out of psychological labor. The alchemist's flask is the vessel of soul, its contents filled with the dualities of conscious and unconscious ingredients. The alchemist is both artist and scientist, using the imaginative mind and the objective psyche. There is no one recipe for the endless mixing, separating, blending and uniting that can guarantee success. Most work is trial and error. Teachers who possess knowledge can help us save time and keep us on track.

In Alchemical Psychology, you will find one such teacher. A wise teacher knows how to present difficult material in an entertaining way. Alchemy can be a confounding subject. It takes effort to grasp its most basic theory and its insightful views of inner life. I thoroughly enjoyed the economical way alchemy is introduced in this book. The major concepts are summarized without doing injustice to alchemical tradition, no small feat. What's more, the author engages us in a way that gets us thinking differently about alchemy and psychological work.

In reading this book, I found myself entranced by its magic and scholarship. Dr. Cavalli adds the ingredients not found in most books on alchemy. He gives us just enough historical information to excite our imagination without becoming lost in unnecessary detail. He makes alchemy readable, simple and, most important, usable. The book blends the imaginal world with the facts of ancient history and modern science. I am happy that Thom has brought back the royal opus into our lives. He supplies us with an introduction and an approach that enlightens us to the psychological meaning of alchemy. The philosopher's stone is not gold, diamond or white light. It is fulfillment. This book is a recipe for finding it.

Recently I contacted the author to ask if he objected to my quoting his work so much. His response was enthusiastic support for my effort. (I'm not accustomed to such praise.) He listed several passages from the book for quoting--you will find them here soon. Dr. Cavalli is dedicated to his work in alchemy; his website URL is AlchemicalPsychology.com.

In his response to my query he wrote

...If we promote the wisdom of alchemical thinking, we have the opportunity to replace dualistic, egoistic thinking with a transformational perspective.

Journal entry dated 2 April 2006
Category: Alchemy