A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014

Are Druids Actually Alchemists?
Alchemy: Its Relationship to the Druidic Tradition

So far we have seen that the traditions of alchemy and Welsh Druidism share many of their fundamental beliefs. Among these are:

· the simple but profound belief that the plant kingdom provides us with the means to influence and remedy many of the physical, mental, and spiritual ills within both individuals and society as a whole;

· the equally simple belief that there are two realms of activity required in order to address these ills: the spiritual (magical) and the physical, and the inner and outer elixirs, the esoteric Nei-tan and the exoteric Wai-tan of the Chinese tradition;

· the theory of the four basic elements, earth, water, fire, and air, and the fifth alchemical element of ether, which may correspond to the Druidic collective energy;

· the latent energy of the Druidic tradition, shared by all plants, may well equate to the alchemical plant “essence” of combined mercury and sulfur—the common spirit and soul that alchemists believe are shared by all members of the plant kingdom;

· the physical and magical attributes of Druidic plant lore, unique to each plant species, may also equate to the body or salt of the plant as defined by the alchemist;

· all of the aspects of the plants listed here may be extracted by a remarkably similar three-stage process (in the case of the alchemist: separation, purification, and cohobation; in the case of the Druidic tradition: separation, purification, and amalgamation); and

· the techniques for separation, in some cases, are the same in both traditions; the purification techniques vary, as does the process of amalgamation (cohobation), but the underlying principle remains very much in tune.

What is missing—or rather what has been abandoned to a great extent within the alchemical tradition—is the emphasis on the spiritual (magical) aspects of the work. Conversely, there is no equivalent to the work of the Greater Circulation within Druidic lore. Nor is there a real equivalent to the philosopher’s stone, the ultimate goal of the alchemist’s Great Work. Or is there?

At this stage it is difficult to conclude whether Druids are actually alchemists (spagyrists, to be more accurate). We can assume, however, that there has been very little, if any, contact between the ancient Druids of the Celtic races and the alchemists of the Egyptian, Chinese, Arab, or any other ancient school. That alchemy arrived in Europe and the Celtic nations at a time when the Celtic pagan religions and the influence of their Druidic priests and priestesses was in decline suggests that none of the alchemical traditions would have had an effect on the arcane systems and beliefs of Druidic plant lore.

Before we can address this question in its full light, we must look in more detail at how the Druidic tradition creates and employs its plant complexes, the theory behind their use, and what benefits may be expected from their application. As the Druidic tradition does not have the benefit of the vast wealth of written text available to the alchemists, we must for the very first time commit Druidic lore to print. Historically, Druidic lore is maintained through an oral tradition, so all of what follows is singular in its content.

For the time being, then, we will leave our task of comparing these age-old traditions in favor of exploring just the Druidic component. We shall do this in a way that will allow the reader, should he or she wish, to facilitate or enact any or all of the rituals and workings being described. We shall return to our work of comparison once we have completed our exploration of the Druidic plant lore tradition.