For the best, and the worst.

We know the the journey into Alchemy is long and staying, during decades in contact with some matters will change the Alchemist, even disequilibriate him. There is unconsciously a fusion with the material archetype of the mater used, and some will impact more or less the mental, or energetical structure of the operator. Energy imprints itself in the aura of the Alchemist, in its spirit, in its soul. And this wedding is done for the best and for the worst.

For the best because it can change a lot of things on the long run. We learn to know very well the matter with which we spend so much hours. We develop a kind of trust and reciprocal knowledge. We could talk of a love story, a sort of,  fusionnelle and exclusive. This brings many benefits, mostly the ability to be focused on only one and unique matter/Path. We exactly know how it will react in certain conditions, of which type of Principles it is mostly composed, and under which conditions it can, for the best, develop itself. This profound understanding can lead very quickly to real successes in the lab and promote quite quickly also, an operator to a good level (good, maybe not great yet).

But without taking care, our structure can be too much modified, not in the right direction. Our bad traits of character can be enhanced, some qualities can diminish if we don't take care of it. This is why it is so important to also work "on yourself" during lab experiments.

Sure, the matter "work on us", but not alway for the best. It has also its limitations. It can give us equilibrium, enrich us with what we lacks, but also sometimes giving us too much of an element, of a quality, of energie that we already have in us, and that are still a bit raw maybe. This is the explosion point.

Of course we choose a certain matter for some reasons. For the best because we feel, that we are vibrating for it, for the worst because "some people think it is the right one".

So, in a sense, we choose it more or less, because of a facility. Access, knowledge, feeling ... whatever.

Maybe we sometime listen too much our attraction for some matters. There is maybe way too much personnal vibration for it. We lack the rationnal mind in this case, and our "heart feels it is the best". Sometime it is not just the heart. It is just that you feel like at home, you already have this energy in you. Maybe you should work another matter, completely different, in order to work on another aspect of yourself. In a sense, it is a good thing to work with a matter that fits you, because it is like a "mini me". 

A mirror. An external piece of you. Thus, working on it, for its evolution will make you evolve quicker. But sometime we need first to be equilibrated, and to work on something we don't like at all. 

A friend of mine, a yoga professor told me that generally, the posture in Hatha Yoga, you dislike the most, is the one that will teach you and giveyou the most. I felt it also in bodybuilding with some exercices. It is probably also true in Alchemy.

"Mini Me" in "Austin Powers" comedy Film.

It is also true just for the process itself. We can be humid, so we will choose a humid path, or dry, etc.

But actually, there is so much benefits learning the other way, the opposite way. I learned that recently. I used to work slowly and calmy for certains things. I learned to work efficiently and quickly, for the same thing. It gives you another energy. It is very important.

Thus, we are too often limited by our own energy, we forge our path with our own vision and we lack the other point of view. We imagine that we are making the process, the path easier, but no. No and NO. We are not simplifying. We stay in the comfort zone, we don't learn a lot then. And evolution is out of this zone. And sometime, often in fact, you need to burst your own butt. 

More generaly we could say it is the same with some Schools of Mysteries. They are rarely universal. They rarely go, or integrate another paradigm (vision of the world) in their structure. They are very "particular" in the energy they develop and radiates. This is a bit too much specific. It is a question of Matters Totems and Egregors.

We need to make BIG efforts sometime to see this. It is insidious. But terribly present. Because we are the defects of our own qualities. Mars has qualities and Venus too. But too much of it and you just kill everybody (Like a dictator would say "We are not racists, we kill everybody".) Or like Venus ("I'm not racist I shag everybody"). Now, that's "universal". You just can't live like that. Yes, I'm making it bold, but I've met in the past some persons almost completely incarnating the Martian aspect, not always the "good" aspect.

These are the unsuspected dangers that can be latent, but terribly present and lurking at us. We become more like the Way we practice, including material and process. Regular readjustment is greatly needed. And this requires a big effort as I said, a well-established habit of questioning, a great capacity to see and take distance, and above all, the intention to work on ourselves psychologically for such work.  Many do not, and what appeared to be a starting force becomes a rut that it is impossible to get out.

We also see this in the work of elements in Theurgy. Whatever the force invoked it will also balance our structure, increase in size & volume. And despite the qualities made, defects will grow with it too. And that is the trouble.

We can not reasonably allow ourselves to failure, imbalance, because then often follow a myriad of defects. If we take the image of a garden, it becomes more clear: forget weeding regularly and you'll find that from harmless dandelions or plantain we go to nettles, brambles and thistles, etc ...

Another danger, inherent to the work with only one tye of matter, one type of process, is obviously to let go of all the other possibilities that resides somewhere else.Your mind goes thight and sees Alchemy just under one single point of view, your "own way".If this happens too quickly in the Path of Alchemy, you'll possibly loose interest, curiosity, opend mindedness, creativity. If on the other hand you are limiting yourself to only one work for some times, after years of practice and searches, then maybe, you have find something that is speaking to you and that you are trying to master now.But more than probably you'll not be a guru of this Path, and making a preach of it each time you are on a forum or having a meeting with some mates.

While we work on a particular subject and that we've become a specialist so to speak, it is necessary to understand that the path of others is perhaps equally valid. And this can only really be understood only when there has been a real, deep, broad understanding of the guiding principles of Alchemy.