The Athanor Letter

November 30, 2024

Today we talk about immortality beyond transhumanist bullsh*t.

For 7 years, I’ve studied the ancient art of Alchemy - not only as theory, but as a practical system for real-life change and lasting joy.

The secrets I found are distilled in this article - which may be one of the most important you'll ever read.

This process has the potential to radically change your life experience for the better.

Take your time, light your pipe, and make sure you return to these concepts several times so you fully absorb them.

I cover these themes extensively in my book 'The Door of Fire' and especially in the Modern Alchemy program.

However, I wanted to summarize the entire process in this article so that everyone can have access to it to some degree.

Let's begin:

1. THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE - KEY TO IMMORTALITY

Let's start from the end of the Alchemical process.

The Philosopher’s Stone is the ultimate goal of Alchemy.

Traditionally described as a miraculous substance capable of transmuting base metals into gold, it also symbolizes the attainment of immortality and the perfecting of the Self.

In the context of inner work, the Philosopher’s Stone represents the realization of higher consciousness - the state in which one transcends ego, integrates fragmented aspects of the self, and opens the Heart to Divine unity.

It’s the Rubedo stage of Alchemy (more on this at the end of the thread).

It’s the state of consciousness that comes closest to unconditional happiness, where crippling anxiety, depression and lack of meaning become nothing more than a distant memory.

Inner Alchemy is based on 2 PILLARS: Will and Love.

• Only Will without Love will get you down the road of black magic and complete identification with the material world.

• Only Love without Will will get you down the road of "new age" dissociation from reality.

We work on Will mainly through self-remembering and self-observation.

We work on Love mainly through non-judgement, Law of Mirror, prayer and higher emotions.

But now let's take a step back and talk about the fundamental problem: Before starting the Great Work, a human being is asleep to his Divine nature.

2. STATE OF SLEEP AND MECHANICALNESS

The kind of immortality that the Alchemists talk about has nothing to do with the prolongation of the earthly life of the physical body or embedding your consciousness in a microchip.

That's transhumanist bullsh*t.

True immortality corresponds to conscious identification with that part of you that is already immortal, and that lives outside the space-time illusion: the Soul.

The Soul incarnates on planet Earth to experience duality and become self-aware.

By incarnating, you forgot your Divine nature, fell asleep and identified with your physical body.

Understanding that you are asleep is the first step towards awakening.

Understanding that you are in prison is the first step towards liberation.

In the state of sleep, you don’t act consciously; you react automatically, following ingrained patterns formed early in life.

Your biological "machine" is programmed for survival, responding unconsciously to external stimuli through habits and emotional reactions.

Free will cannot exist in this reactive state.

However, with the realization of your lack of free will, you begin to cultivate it.

This is not ment to be a philosophical idea but an experiential truth.

The path to freedom lies in prolonged self-observation without judgment, which helps create an INNER WITNESS.

This witness allows you to gradually identify with your Soul and act consciously, rather than being slave to your subconscious mechanisms.

As a human being, you’re not bound to feel negative emotions: they are the result of a defect in perception.

Through the Alchemical process, planet earth stops being perceived as a psycho-prison and transforms into a real school of awareness.

As a side effect, life becomes a beautiful experience.

3. SELF-REMEMBERING

As I have already explained, the first step towards awakening is the realization that you are asleep.

This is a fact that you must experience first-hand, it cannot remain a simple mental theory.

Realization comes through practical self-remembering exercises.

Self-remembering is not an intellectual exercise. It’s a practical discipline requiring focused effort.

It means being fully present in the here-and-now, simultaneously aware of yourself and the action you’re performing (divided attention).

An example?

One of the most famous exercises is 'the door' one:

Starting now, for 24 hours, you have to remember yourself every time you walk through a door.

You “simply” have to remember it.

I'm sure the result will surprise you.

(When the 24 hours expire, I invite you to reply to this email and share your experience)

Initially, self-remembering must be practiced surgically, focusing on specific, pre-established moments of your daily life.

As I explain in this article, over time - and with consistent effort - self-remembering evolves from a deliberate practice into a habitual state of consciousness - associated with the Heart’s opening and the Soul’s higher Will.

This practice breaks mechanical behaviors and builds true free Will, transcending the reactive nature of the biological mind.

By observing and breaking habitual reactions, you learn to consciously respond instead of mechanically react.

Self-remembering is the cornerstone of Alchemy and Esotericism, essential for inner transformation. It causes an alchemical shift within, building the witness and eventually the Body of Glory, a vessel for the higher Self.

4. SELF-OBSERVATION

Self-observation IS the Alchemical Fire,

It’s the foundational practice of Inner Alchemy, the one that will transmute your lower self into its higher form.

Just as the Sun transforms ice into water and vapor, self-observation works without force - simply through awareness.

This practice is often overlooked in favor of more exotic spiritual methods, but it’s all you need to transmute your inner Lead into Gold.

By observing your thoughts and emotions with detachment, you create the INNER WITNESS - a part of you that is compassionate, objective, and unshaken by the ups and downs of the body and personality.

Observation modifies the observed.

Slowly, you realize you are not your body, emotions, or thoughts, but something greater: your Soul, which begins as an untapped potential and grows through self-awareness.

The process:

• Enter a state of self-remembering.

• Observe your personality without judgment.

• Detach from identifying with emotions and thoughts.

• Redirect energy from negative emotions to your Inner Witness.

• Gradually, the Witness becomes the Soul, leading to the opening of the Heart.

Unlike extreme practices like long meditations or shamanic retreats, self-observation is the simplest, most practical method for awakening.

It activates an irreversible transformation, creating a central "I" - a Soul capable of approaching the Divine consciously.

True alchemy isn’t about eliminating aspects of your personality but spiritualizing them through attention.

The goal is not to force change but to allow transformation through pure presence.

Self-observation is both the beginning and the ending of the Great Work.

​Alchemical Journaling is the foundation.

5. LAW OF MIRROR

The external world reflects your inner state.

This concept is challenging to accept, but essential for anyone pursuing deep inner growth and the path of transformation.

The idea is simple but profound: what bothers you in others or in external circumstances isn’t truly about them - it’s about you.

Your reactions to the outside world are shaped by unresolved aspects within yourself.

Anger that annoys you, for example, often (always) reflects anger you suppress or deny in your own psyche.

The Mirror manifests in three primary ways, and as a rule of thumb you're annoyed by:

1) What you are (traits you dislike in others often mirror traits you possess but don’t accept)

2) What you desire (you envy qualities in others that you wish you could embody but haven’t developed yet)

3) What you’ve lost or been denied: (you judge or resent others for having what you lacked, such as affection, freedom, or material wealth)

For example, if someone’s ostentatious wealth bothers you, it may reflect your own unresolved relationship with success or scarcity.

The Law of Mirror is a tool for self-awareness and transformation.

When something or someone triggers a strong emotional reaction, it’s an opportunity to look inward.

Ask yourself:

• Why does this bother me?

• Where does this trait or issue exist within me?

• Can I observe it without judgment and accept it as part of myself?

This process of self-observation allows you to transmute negative emotions into their higher octave.

The world you perceive is shaped by your physical, mental, and emotional structure.

Every living being creates its own "bubble of reality", and no two perspectives are the same.

This means there is no truly objective reality for the biological mind - it’s all a projection of yourself.

At a deeper level, esoteric traditions teach that there is an objective reality: the Divine oneness underlying all things.

To perceive it, you must first work through the illusions of your personal projections, using external reality as a guide.

6. NON-JUDGMENT

Jesus teaches a profound psychological law.

Judgment is a mental mechanism that perpetuates duality and separation, fueling personal suffering.

When you judge others, you reinforce the belief that the world can contain “wrong” or “bad” things.

This mindset traps you in a loop: judging others creates fear of being judged, and vice versa.

It’s a self-perpetuating cycle born from the dual mind - your biological programming to categorize and divide reality into good/bad, right/wrong.

Judgment originally evolved as a survival mechanism, helping humans assess danger and ensure the longest possible incarnation for the Soul.

However, as you move toward spiritual evolution, judgment becomes a burden.

True liberation begins by observing the mind’s judgments without identifying with them.

Judgment dissolves naturally as you align with your Soul, which, unlike the mind, perceives the perfection in all things, bypassing duality.

Non-judgment doesn’t mean inaction.

You can stop a crime or reject harmful behavior without attaching hatred or negativity.

As Jesus showed when driving moneychangers from the temple, it’s possible to act firmly yet lovingly, with no identification or judgment in the Heart.

Observing judgment without attachment opens the Heart, allowing us to transmute lower emotions into higher states.

Judgment is an illusion that divides the oneness of existence.

Observing judgment in yourself without resistance gradually dissolves this duality, opening you to the Universe’s inherent perfection.

Every judgment is an opportunity to reunite with the One.

Each observed judgment brings you a step closer to dissolving separation and experiencing the perfection of existence.

To transmute lead into gold, you must first learn to see judgment as both a symptom of duality and an invitation to transcend it.

7. STAGES OF INNER ALCHEMY

To conclude, here's what the process looks like in its entirety:

1. NIGREDO (Blackening):
   ​
   The first stage involves the "putrefaction" of the personality, breaking down the false ego formed by mechanical habits, roles, and psychological aggregates (e.g., the insecure self, the arrogant self).
   ​
   This process, called "dissociation of mixtures," involves observing these aspects without judgment to dismantle the illusion of a central ego.
   ​
   This phase is dangerous: if the personality is destroyed without constructing a higher self, one risks descending into subconscious chaos.
   ​
   Through self-observation and self-remembering exercises, the Alchemist creates a new, unified self.​
   ​
   The principle of solve et coagula - "dissolve and coagulate" - guides this process: dismantling the false ego while building a higher, integrated self.
   ​
2. ALBEDO (Whitening):
   ​
   This stage focuses on building the Body of Glory (the Soul) and transmuting negative emotions into their higher octaves.
   ​
   For example, jealousy can be transformed by recognizing it as an internal issue rather than blaming external circumstances.
   ​
   ​Presence and loving awareness of negative emotions are key.​
   ​
   In this stage, you intentionally stop complaining and externally manifesting negative emotions: taking full responsibility on your life is the key.
   ​
   Observing the pain with love allows its transformation into a higher emotional state. In this phase, the Soul gains a perspective beyond survival, unlike the personality, which clings to self-preservation.
   ​
3. RUBEDO (Reddening): The final stage is the spiritualization of matter. The purified personality becomes a vessel for the Spirit, which now flows directly through it.
   ​
   ​The Alchemist achieves unity with the universe, dissolving the sense of separation.​
   ​
   In this state, the observer and the observed disappear, leaving only pure love and identification with the Divine.
   ​
   As described in Christian terms, this is the stage where: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
   ​
   If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” ✎ John 14, 6
   ​
   The individual ego dissolves completely, replaced by total fusion with God.
   ​
   This stage is also known as... The Philosopher's Stone.

That's it for today - you can turn off your pipe.

Now, if you want a deeper 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.

I open a maximum of 2 spots per month to work 1:1 with me, and 1 spot for December is already taken.

If you're interested, feel free to book a free discovery call from the website, or straight from this link.

May the fire blaze,

Riccardo