A Druid's Handbook to the Spiritual Power of Plants: Spagyrics in Magical and Sexual Rituals - Jon G. Hughes 2014
The Amalgamation of The Cardinal Essences to Form The Complex of The Tree
The Refinement Process: The Complex of the Tree
The Druidic Workshop
We have seen that the refinement process of the complex of the tree is shorter than that of the flower. Even so, it takes between six and eight weeks from start to finish.
The resulting three cardinal essences of the tree are brought together during the ritual for which they are being used. As they amalgamate, they form the complex (cymhleth, in Welsh). The complex, as we have seen, is most potent at the moment of congress—so, as with the complex of the flower—we need to look at the timing and balance of the combining of these components to fully understand their power.
To create and energize the complex we need all four components that we crafted earlier: the cardinal essence of the leaves (male), the cardinal essence of the wood (female), the cardinal essence of the bark (hermaphrodite), and the incense (already combined male, female, and hermaphrodite components).
As we combine the three cardinal essences, we reunite not only the empowered energies and attributes of the tree, but also the male and female attributes, restoring the balance of nature in our crafted complex. The complex, therefore, becomes hermaphrodite, both male and female in one, embracing the characteristics of both. It embodies the attributes of the sun and the moon (male and female), but only the elemental energies of earth and water. Thus, in itself the complex lacks the potency of all four elements.
The two missing elemental energies, fire and earth, may be found in the incense. The incense is already hermaphrodite before it is brought to the ritual (you will remember that we joined the male, female, and hermaphrodite solid cardinals during its crafting). Thus, as we pass the hermaphrodite complex through the smoke of the hermaphrodite incense (the moment of congress) we are, for the first time, combining all four elemental energies.
Complex Refinement Schematic for Trees
At the very moment of congress the complex is empowered with the combined energies and attributes of the specific tree we have selected, plus the combined elemental energies of all four elements, all maintained within the newly restored perfect male/female balance as nature prescribes.
At this moment (and for a short time afterward) the complex is at the peak of its potency. It is the sublime elixir, the quintessence. This is when we channel its energies and attributes to our needs.
As with the complex of the flower, there are some exceptions to this immediate use, and most of those are to be found in the use of the complex in remedies and potions after the ritual is over. In these cases it is accepted that the tree complex is not at its most powerful, and when mixed with carrying agents to form ointments, balms, and tinctures, there may be a need for repeated applications before the beneficial effects make themselves evident. We shall look at this method of use in detail in part 4.