Infernal Metaphysics of Black Alchemy

What if the key to unlocking divinity within yourself isn't hidden in the light, but rather buried in the darkness? After all, if you were charged with concealing forbidden knowledge so profound it could transform a human being into a living god, would you place it in the light for all to see, or veil it in the shadow of darkness?

Across the oceans of time constituting our human evolution, while the mundane populations sought the gold within the Earth, mystics pursued gold within the self. There was always physical alchemy, the development of which lead to our modern chemistry. However, I'm speaking of metaphysical alchemy, whether mental or spiritual. Countless Right Hand Path mystics have pursued the Magnum Opus. But, what if the real Philosopher's Stone wasn't meant for saints of the Right Hand Path, but for sorcerers of the Left Hand Path?

The ancient world witnessed no shortage of alchemists laboring by candlelight, painstakingly recording encyclopedic journals of the never-ending trial-and-error concoctions they tinkered with. These alchemists often worked in the laboratory of some castle under the sponsorship of an overzealous king with dreams of discovering the Midas Touch. 

There were other alchemists who viewed this ancient science through a more allegorical lens, pursuing in secret its spiritual truths that would lead ultimately to the gold of illumination and apotheosis, though for these Right Hand Path alchemists that power still came in the form of mystical union with an external force, namely the False Creator god of the state religion.

A few mystics were not content with submitting to an external deity and sought to forge their own path. For those wishing to pursue their own sovereign power, there is Black Alchemy, the forbidden sibling of classical alchemy. This is alchemy of the Left Hand Path. It turns its back upon the light of the Celestial Realm and steps into the darkness of the Abyss to confront the Shadow of Self and Hellfire of the Infernal Order. The goal in doing this is to forge a new Light, a New Order, one tailored to the individual alchemist and of which the alchemist is in total control.

Black Alchemy is one modality within the Infernal Metaphysics of Plutosophia that seeks inner transformation through infernal forces. It seeks to turn the Lead of trauma, fear, guilt, anxiety, weakness, and other negative traits and energies into the Gold of power, illumination, intellect, strength, immortality, invincibility, mastery, and apotheosis. 

This infernal alchemy works through four distinct stages:

• Nigredo (Blackening): The realm of Leviathan, the Goddess of the Void and the Abyss, of the Subconscious and Unconscious Mind. The Nigredo is about stepping into the Chaos to dissolve the old structures and orders that no longer serve us.

• Albedo (Whitening): After dissolution, one finds themselves standing in the ruins of a past civilization. Satan is found here, connecting with Willpower, and it's the activation of Willpower through Satan that ignites the new magickal system and Order.

• Citrinitas (Yellowing): Lucifer is found here. He brings clarity, knowledge, and illumination. Lucifer is the Light-bringer, and here we see the Sun rising upon a New Order, a new civilization.

• Rubedo (Reddening): This is culmination and manifestation through Behemoth. This is the final synthesis. Through Behemoth, we achieve apotheosis.

And, who guards the threshold between the stages, holding it all together? None other than The Great Lord Baphomet, Whose forearms bear the inscription: Solve et Coagula. The wisdom of Baphomet is the wisdom of Hermeticism and Black Alchemy. He teaches the art of dissolution and reunification to break down old structures to create new and refined orders.

Imagine your Soul as a locked vault. Traditional alchemy tells us the secret to breaking free is to find The Key. Black Alchemy tells us to forge The Key in Hellfire, to break open the vault, and claim what's inside. This is the difference between praying at The Temple and becoming The Temple.

Black Alchemy incorporates Demonolatry. Lucifer reveals through illumination and enlightenment. Leviathan teaches dissolution of the old self through embracing the Chaos of Hellfire. Satan purifies through Fire and ignites Willpower. Behemoth culminates and brings manifestation of the entire magickal alchemical process.

The Prima Materia of Black Alchemy within Plutosophia is Hellfire. This is Chaos and energy in its rawest, purest form, totally unrefined. Black Alchemy performs transmutation upon Hellfire to refine It into ordered energetic structures that better serve the alchemist. There is also the concept of the Tria Materia. Salt symbolizes the Body, giving us weight, structure, and purpose. Sulfure symbolizes the Soul, corresponding with willpower, ego, ambition, desire, rebellion, and sovereignty. Mercury symbolizes the Spirit and corresponds with our mind and movement. Mastery of the Prima Materia and balancing of the Tria Materia transforms the alchemist from a mundane human into a divine superhuman.

Picture yourself entering a haunted, spooky laboratory. There are vials bubbling with smoke wafting down around them. Demonic beings are scattered about in deep meditation. And someone, appearing as the authority here, a doctor possibly, maybe a sorcerer, explains:

"The Cosmos is an alchemical engine. Everything is moving and changing all the time. But Black Alchemy changes you."

The Seven Alchemical Processes can be thought of as dramatic steps on the path of infernal apotheosis:

1. Calcination - Burn it all down. 
2. Dissolution - Into the Abyss.
3. Separation - Pick through the wreckage.
4. Conjunction - Light meets Dark.
5. Fermentation - The Spark of divine rot.
6. Distillation - Elevate, refine, ascend.
7. Coagulation - It's done. You've become.

So, what's it all about in the end? In taking the uncomfortable path and negotiating all of that Chaos and Darkness, what's the goal? What's the reward? Well, it's certainly not Sainthood, transcendence to the Celestial Realm, or Mystical Union with the False Creator god.

The ultimate goal of Black Alchemy is the Magnum Opus, namely Apotheosis, achieving the invincible Vampyre Diamond Body. In other words, it's about self-deification and becoming a living deity. The Vampyre is no longer bound by fate or fear or illusion. They are at last a sovereign being, fully liberated and illuminated, completely capable of walking alone, taking their own path, and basking in their own Light.

Astral Projection into Hell

What if the goal of astral projection isn't actually about traveling outside of the body, but rather, transforming the self from within? The Right Hand Path paints an enticing image of astral projection as a beautiful journey filled with angels and unicorns, flowers and friendly archetypes, love and light. But, what if it's not the leisurely sunny afternoon walk through a spring garden that new age spirituality portrays it to be?

Plutosophia regards astral travel as a serious Left Hand Path modality not for the uninitiated and certainly not something to be trifled with. This metaphysical technique opens doors to other dimensions, not only of external realities but of the mind as well. Some of these are pleasant, certainly. Others are dark and terrifying. Still, others are downright dangerous. Plutosophia pushes the limits of what astral projection is capable of. It's not content with dipping its toes in the shallow waters along the beach sands. Instead, Plutosophia is drawn out into the vast ocean, down into its shadowy depths, into the realm of the Goddess Leviathan.

Having a healthy respect for the true power of astral projection means understanding that it's not simply a form of spiritual tourism or even escapism. The astral dimensions aren't always safe and welcoming. One is not always alone here, and the entities inhabiting these realms aren't always benevolent. In many cases, they are malevolent. These entities present in various forms: angels, demons, ancient gods and goddesses, egregores, thought-forms, phantoms, parasites, guardians, watchers, even other sorcerers, magicians, alchemists, and vampires. One may encounter ancient abandoned ruins here constructed by past metaphysicians as well as currently active structures and order. In any case, entering these spaces with the mindset of a visitor or explorer is unwise.

The astral dimension is a battlefield that must be invaded and conquered. The metaphysician enters here as a warrior prepared to assert their dominance and sovereignty in a place where they are not alone and may need to compete against others. Success here requires imposition of the will and an unwavering belief in one's power as a magician in a realm where potential is unlimited and Chaos is always working to dismantle whatever Order has been established.

For the metaphysician of the Left Hand Path, astral projection isn't about leaving the body to escape from reality; it's about a very real method being used to achieve very real power. The metaphysician of Plutosophia, in projecting, is not aiming for the Celestial Order of Heaven. They turn their back to the light of the False Creator and walk away from it, steadfastly into the Darkness. They seek to lift the Veil, unlock the Forbidden Gates of Hell, and descend into the Infernal Labyrinth. It's through denying the false light of Heaven that the magician rejects submission to the corrupt Celestial Order. In stepping into the Abyss, into Hell, the black magician embraces Chaos. This is not insanity. Rather, this is occult knowledge of the infinite potential inherent in the Hellfire. Within the Darkness, the magician may manifest their own light and achieve apotheosis, becoming their own sovereign being.

Within the Infernal Dimensions, the black magician performs invocation to commune with their chosen demons. They begin the very important work of constructing their Astral Temple here, a structure built in silence without human hands, an eternal sanctuary and place of worship, ritual, and training. The Temple is an established Order within the Chaos. It's constructed of Hellfire and so its potential is unlimited. The more the magician works with this Temple, the more energy they put into It, the more tangible It becomes. The Temple is an assertion of dominance within the psychic battlegrounds of the astral plane. 

There is mystical knowledge in the Hermetic Law of Correspondence: As above, so below; as within, so without. Mastery within the Temple, within the Astral Dimension, lends to mastery at the other corresponding levels. Magickal rituals performed in the Astral have effect in the Mental and Material planes. Magick is further solidified through the Law of Mentalism, teaching those with opened eyes and ears that all is Mind and psychic thought energy; all is energy and all is connected. Truly, the All is Mind and the Universe is Mental. Thought, intention, belief, willpower... these are things typically dismissed as being nothing more than abstract concepts, however, within Plutosophia and the Left Hand Path, we know them as capable of creating structure and order in an otherwise chaotic landscape. 

This is alchemy, the transmutation of Chaos into Order, harnessing the raw power of Hellfire and forging It into realities aligned with the will of the magician. Hell is the infernal crucible of this alchemical transmutation. Hell is dangerous because it is Chaos, yet it's also enticing precisely because of the unlimited potential contained within It. The metaphysician of Plutosophia astral projects into the infernal dimensions of Hell, not because they're escaping some other reality, but because they intend to burn away their own impurities, re-emerging from the Hellfire transformed into something greater.

Black Light.

Black is the Abyss of Hell where the Dragon of Chaos dwells. Black is the Shadow of Mind, still Morningstar Light doth shine. Black is the Night of the Earth, upon North, the Serpent manifests Worth. Black is the focus, fury, and rage of Willpower, led by Southern, Adversarial Fire. And, most certainly, is Black the Secret of Death, and of Pluto’s Alchemy — the unlocking Key to immortality. It then follows that the magick of the alchemist be Black, for Darkness alone holds the right to manifest Light.

Ave, Plutosophia!

Greetings and welcome to the official blog of Plutosophia! I'm the founder and Infernal Hierophant, Dr. J. M. Murphey, and it's my honor to introduce this exciting new society. Plutosophia is a modern esoteric religion and occult initiatory order that integrates the alchemical archetype of the Demon Pluto with the principles and modalities of the Left Hand Path. Founded with the aim of guiding practitioners towards apotheosis as well as establishing a supportive community for like-minded magicians, alchemists, and vampyres, Plutosophia embraces the darker shadow aspects of spirituality, emphasizing the importance of individual liberty, sovereignty, transformation, and the mastery of Chaos. Plutosophia is a synthesis of various occult traditions, including Hermeticism, black alchemy, black magick, demonolatry, vampyrism, sorcery, tarot, and metaphysics. Plutosophia is distinguished by its embrace of Chaos and Hell, its focus upon the Demon Pluto as an archetype of alchemy and magick, and its eclectic integration of Left Hand Path practices. Hail, Pluto! Hail, Demons of Hell! Ave, Plutosophia!