The Alchemical Process ~ An Allegory
One night she dreamed. In the morning, not remembering the story of the dream, but remembering the meaning, she knew what she had to do.
She found clay, rich from the earth. In her hands the clay became many things. She ’saw’ into the clay and knew the form within each piece. It seemed to her that the clay breathed as a living thing.
Some of the things she made she crushed back down into clay to use again. Some things she made did not survive the firing. But she kept working with the clay.
One day she began to make a plate. It was a large plate and when she had finished, she realized she was very tired. She knew her work was very good but it was just beginning. She set the plate aside to dry and rested.
A few days later, she returned to the plate and found that it was ready for the firing. Carefully she tuned the oven to the right temperature and placed the hardened clay inside. Knowing she had done all she could, she closed the door and left the plate to be tempered by the fire of the kiln.
When the oven had cooled she found that the plate had survived the heat of the oven. She took it out and ran her hands over it. The clay had hardened to bisque and was dry and rough to the touch.
She began to experiment with her glazes. She wanted this plate to have the colours of the living earth, colours of the elements, deep and rich. Finally she was ready to glaze the plate.
She used her tools to smooth the raw bisque as well as she could and then she began to pour the glazes over the plate. The colours of the glaze appeared chalky and dull but she knew that would change when the plate went through its second alchemical process.
Once more she tuned the oven, placed the plate inside and closed the door. While she waited she imagined what the plate might look like but she knew there was no knowing until the firing was done.
When the oven had cooled and she opened the door, she found to her delight that the plate was exquisitely beautiful even beyond her imagining. She set it out where she could admire it.
But something was wrong. She looked at it again and again to try to figure out what was missing. I know what it is, she thought finally. I am not finished yet. This plate was not meant to be empty. But what is it meant to hold?
Watch for Part 2 in an upcoming post.
When the bread was ready she took the loaves out of the oven. While one of the loaves had fallen while it was baking and was lopsided and smaller than the others, two of the loaves were round and golden and beautiful.
