The Athanor Letter

August 31, 2024

Alchemical work on yourself is based on two pillars:

• Self-remembering efforts
• Transmutation of negative emotions

These two practices move hand in hand, and cannot ignore one another.

Since I have covered self-remembering extensively in this article, today I will delve into the second point in depth, in the hope of providing you with useful tools to deal with what appears to be the most “painful” part of the job.

Let’s start from a fundamental premise:

“Negative” emotions are raw material that can be transformed into something superior and more refined.

It’s literally lead that can be transmuted into Gold.

No lead = no Gold

No negative emotions = no superior emotions

This in itself should already represent a reason to feel grateful towards all those unpleasant sensations that arise in your perceptive field:

• Anger
• Fear
• Jealousy
• Envy
• Sense of inadequacy
• Anxiety

These negative emotions are not caused by external events, but by the fact that your Heart is shut - and at the same time, working on negative emotions is the path that leads to opening the Heart.

So the problem is also the solution.

Let me explain better:

The goal of the first phase of Inner Alchemy is the construction of a “vehicle for the Soul” (also called glorified or causal body), and the consequent shift of your center of awareness from the mind to this brand new center.

• The mind is the perceptive organ of the biological machine.
• The Heart - or “higher emotional center” according to Gurdjieff - is the perceptive organ of the Soul.

This last center is literally built from negative emotions.

Getting mad with that emotional raw material would make no sense, just as it would make no sense for Michelangelo to get mad with a block of marble.

But just as “La Pietà” didn’t carve itself out of a block of marble, your negative emotions will remain negative unless you really start working on them.

You have to really want it.

THE KEY TO TRANSMUTATION

Transmutation of negative emotions occurs thanks to pure self-observation without judgment.

You need to bring your unconditional awareness on your malaise.

It is a slow and invisible process, which is not taught in school (because education is not designed to create empowered individuals… quite the opposite) and does not give immediate gratification.

Yet it’s the highest ROI activity you could ever do, because your emotional mastery - according to the hermetic principles - will inevitably be reflected in the quality of your relationships, in your overall health and ultimately in your bank account.

If you get burned by fire as a child - and no one teaches you that fire has other applications - you will spend your life trying to avoid it.

This applies to negative emotions: no one knows their vital usefulness, so everyone simply gets hurt and spends their lives finding exotic ways to avoid them - alcohol, drugs, casual sex and so on.

Many set out on a spiritual path because they cannot stand the fire of their own emotions.

But a SERIOUS spiritual path teaches you to stay present and enter with ever greater depth into your feelings.

This process can be overwhelming, long, tedious, painful… you name it.

If you don’t understand the purpose of it, why would you even want to deal with it?

It’s easier to run away.

But if you remember (key word = remember) that these emotions are actually the raw material from which your Higher Self is “extracted”, then it is easier to move through the process of self-observation with joy, gratitude, patience and acceptance.

Again, remember this in those moments:

A negative emotion is lead that can and should be transmuted into Gold (superior emotion) through self-observation.

At first you will have to start humbly, trust the process and face a monster that seems too strong.

The temptation to escape and numb yourself will always be there lurking.

But over time the change will become evident, and you will become the master of your emotions.

FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND OTHER TOOLS

According to every esoteric tradition, negative emotions arise from identification with an illusory reality, or from the inability to see reality beyond the veil of Maya.

So, when you feel worry, anguish, anxiety or annoyance… that is the right time to remind yourself that you are not perceiving authentic reality.

The process is this:

1. As soon as you realize you are prey to a negative emotion, you enter a state of self-remembering
2. You observe the emotion with detachment (through the gaze of the “witness”)
3. You repeat within yourself that you are 100% responsible for that situation
4. You remind yourself that the suffering you feel comes from the closure of your Heart and your inability to perceive reality as it is - and not from the external event that apparently triggered it.

In one sentence:

“I am creating this situation, and I only suffer because I have no eyes to see reality.”

At the beginning it is just a hypothesis of which you cannot be certain, as you have not yet had any form of direct experience.

I’m not asking you to believe it blindly, as the world certainly doesn’t need more blind believers.

I only ask you to open yourself to the possibility that this is the case.

This is the definition of Faith: a state of openness towards something you cannot yet conceive.

As long as you remain convinced that the cause of your discomfort is an external event, you have no way out of the pain.

To stay on topic, in these situations, prayer is a very effective tool for keeping the mind and emotions at bay.

The two prayers I recommend are

1. Ho’oponopono - “Sorry, Forgive me, Thank you, I Love you”
2. Jesus Prayer - “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner”

This way, in addition to distracting your mind from the loop of negative imagination, you start “cleansing” your subconscious mind.

The real function of prayer is to carry out an indiscriminate purification of your unconscious conditioning.

Through prayer, the dissolution of blocks occurs regardless of whether you are aware of which blocks need to be dissolved and what their origin is.

Each of these topics requires extensive investigation, but hopefully you now have an idea of how to behave when you are prey to negative emotions.

Now, if you want a complete introduction to Inner Alchemy, my book ‘The Door of Fire’ is the perfect starting point.

And if you are ready to take it a step further, I cover these topics extensively in my Modern Alchemy program.

2 spots have just opened up to start in September, so feel free to book a free discovery call from the website.

May the fire blaze,

Riccardo

P.S. LAST DAY TO APPLY AS A BETA TESTER FOR MY NEW PROGRAM

Starting from September, I will launch a new 1:1 program called “HIGH FREQUENCY BRAND”

This 6 month container will be designed to help you spiritually heal your relationship with money and teach you the practical strategies needed to fully replace your income through digital means.

The goal is to empower you to achieve financial freedom while staying aligned with your inner voice and moral values.

This isn’t just about building a brand—it’s about integrating your spiritual journey with the more material side of things.

The initial spots will be limited in number and ultra-accessible in price (3 figures investment for 6 months).

This will be a special opportunity to work with me at a bargain rate as one of the 12 beta testers (few spots are already taken).

Price will never be that low again.

If this resonates and you’re ready to turn your story into a source of inspiration, healing, and income, you can apply by filling out this form.​

If you need further clarification, just reply to this email or send me a DM on X.

May the fire blaze.

Riccardo