Sorcery and Alchemy

There exist a plethora of forms of magick but for the sake of simplicity and perhaps honesty, I’ll divide the practice of magick into two, and only two categories. There is sorcery and there is alchemy.

I define sorcery as magick that is practiced for the sole purpose of causing things to materialize in the external world, and thus alchemy is defined as magick practiced to cause change to manifest in the self.

Now obviously what manifests in the self will also cause change in the external world, just as events that transpire in the material world affect the self. However what distinguishes alchemy and sorcery is intent. The true sorcerer is not interested in changing their self, rather they seek to change their environment to one which is more suiting to their ego. This could involve smiting those who the sorcerer sees as deserving of smiting, it could also involve acquiring wealth and prestige. The goal is the same, the external world is modified to better suit the magician. The sorcerer delves into the unknown for the purpose of bringing back something useful.

The alchemist on the other hand is a curious creature. They will delve into the unknown to seek truth, answers, enlightenment… whatever you call it really doesn’t matter. They practice magick for the sake of experiencing the unknown and to be changed by it. Self-transformation, communing with the HGA, realizing one’s true will or crossing the abyss are all terms to describe what the alchemist is seeking. Since what they are seeking is intangible, they explore and understand that part of them that is obscured, they seek the intangible within. This process does not involve retreating from the external world as some mistakingly do, but rather to use the external world as a tool for exploring themselves, much as the sorcerer uses the intangible to explore the external world.

Now it should be obvious that it is almost impossible to practice only one of the two forms of magick, their goals are linked. The path of a true sorcerer requires a great deal of introspection if one does not wish to self-destruct. A sorcerer is constantly assessing their desires and motivations. Since to practice magick requires deliberate intent, sorcery demands an iron will. The only way to develop that is through alchemy.

The same is true for the alchemist, the alchemist seeks to transform, but transform into what? Self-transformation  requires exploration and experimentation, this means great adventures into the self. But to really test the mental and emotional transformations the alchemist undergoes whilst venturing through the labyrinth of the self and beyond, the alchemist must jump back into the real world and experience for themself just what has changed and what hasn’t. Besides, what guides self-transformation but a desire to improve the quality of one’s existence? You can’t do that without keeping in mind that eventually the inner journey will have to sustain the body, and alleged feats of mystical monks aside, that requires getting up off your ass to get some grub.

Every human being is at times a sorcerer and at times an alchemist, unless they are a fully automated robot (don’t discount this, there actually are a few of em), but we all have our own talents and predilections that cause us to focus more on one side of the craft. But these two forms of magick are connected in strange ways. Should you be stuck in your practices, feeling that you’ve reached a glass ceiling, chances are you are being called to explore the side of magick you’ve been neglecting. Alchemists are usually the worst about this. Sorcerers tend to be a bit more aware of the importance of the internal magickal world. Alchemists have a tendency to exult the internal dimensions so much, thinking that they are exploring higher spiritual planes, that they forget that all the spirituality you need can be found in your backyard. Alchemy and Sorcery are not distinct, it is our own distinctions between our inner and outer worlds that force us to divide our magickal practices.