First post: intro to me

Hello all. This is my first post on this forum, so I feel it right that I should introduce myself as fully as I can. I chose this section to do so because I have very little practical experience in alchemy (though I have become quite familiar with the theory), but I do have a lot of experience in dealing with the supernatural.

My name is Ben, I live in Wisconsin. I am graduated from the UW system with a double major in philosophy and humanities and a minor in history. From my birth I have been involved with what I will call "the other side of the veil". Much of my early experience has unfortunately been for the worse. When I was born, my father was heavily involved in the darker side of occult practice (thanks be to our wonderful Creator, he has come out of that darkness). His rituals brought in a lot of not-so-nice things into the household and being descended from an already spiritually sensitive blood line didn't help me in the least.

A word to the wise when travelling into the astral and spirit realms, be careful! There are plenty of things out there that would just as soon eat you for lunch. So if you are not acquainted with dealing with these beings, I personally suggest approaching those realms slowly. But sometimes you're just suddenly awakened to what's going on on the other side, and you're forced to adapt accordingly. This was my situation between the ages of two and seven, and I have to say, it was not a pleasant experience. Don't get me wrong though. There are good beings as well as bad.

I like to tell some of my Christian friends every once in a while that the Creation we live in goes far beyond just Heaven, Earth and Hell. I can tell you now, not only do G-d and angels and demons exist, but so do elementals, nature spirits, malicious ghosts, and a whole host of other unworldy beings. I’ve encountered and continue to encounter these things on a regular basis. Sometimes, if they manifest strongly enough, I can determine their location in relation to physical space (though I can only rarely see them directly with my physical eyes). I seem to have a stronger sense for the evil ones than the good, a fact which I believe represents a sort of defense mechanism developed from my traumatic spiritual experiences as a young child. But I have also encountered angelic beings, and even what some mythologies would call dryads.

As far as astral projection goes, I’m currently a bit wary of it. I kinda like to keep my feet planted on this plane, and I’m also a bit frightened by it. I don’t know about attempting such things without the aid of an experienced guide (namely another human, not a spirit guide). Every tradition of deep meditation and concentration has some from of discipleship where a master trains the novice initiate. I don’t see why it should be different with astral projection. Particularly in light of the fact that the primary modus operandi of most humans is limited to the physical realm, and the realms beyond ours’ don’t operate in exactly the same way the material does.

What defines the special relationships and how things interact on a base level, can become entirely alien and confusing without sound guidance. This is attested to in the Kabbalistic stories of the four Rabbis who ascended into the Pardes (the celestial garden). Three where either lead into false teachings , went mad, or were struck dead, while only one merited to enter in peace and leave in peace. In any event, dealing with the spiritual realms can be an exciting and powerful experience. My personal advice though, is simply one of caution.

As a final note, I am overjoyed and honored to be a part of this forum. I have been amassing information and materials to begin basic spagyric operations come this spring, and I am also looking forward to working on Leyden’s Dew/Salt method. I’ll keep you all informed of my progress. Until my next post then, blessings to you all in your work.