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The Alchemy of Stones
Co-creating with Crystals, Minerals, and Gemstones for Healing and Transformation
Published by Destiny Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
• 2021 Coalition of Visionary Resources Gold Award
• Reveals that those who love and work with crystals and stones have been intuitively following the path of spiritual alchemy
• Provides meditative practices with specific stones to go with each stage of the alchemical transformation process as well as other tools and techniques
• Includes an illustrated dictionary summarizing the spiritual qualities of more than 375 different minerals, crystals, and gemstones
The Alchemy of Stones presents an inspired breakthrough in Robert Simmons’ thirty-five year career of exploring and revealing the spiritual qualities and potentials of minerals, crystals, and gemstones. This holistic, Earth-based framework for understanding stones and their energies initiates readers into an alchemical worldview that leads to spiritual healing, transformation, and transcendence.
Engaging readers step by step, Simmons provides guidance on discovering and harnessing the three human powers of intention, attention, and imagination, each a crucial component for meeting and working in harmony with the energies of the Stone Beings. Simmons also introduces us to the Divine Feminine intelligence known as Sophia, or Wisdom. The Stone Beings are her emissaries, and through relating and co-creating with them, the healing and redemption of ourselves and the Earth becomes a reality.
Offering an illustrated dictionary of the spiritual qualities of more than 375 different minerals, crystals, and gemstones, Simmons also explores in depth what he calls the Four Cornerstones of the Alchemy of Stones: Moldavite, Phenacite, Azeztulite, and Rosophia. He discusses the stages of alchemical transformation and provides meditative practices with specific stones to go with each stage. He also explores how to work with stone mandalas, crystal body layouts, gemstone elixirs, and Orgonite energy devices and details powerful techniques for working with stones. Woven throughout are Simmons’ personal stories of the pivotal mystical experiences that triggered his capacity to feel stone energies and led him to develop his relationship with the stones, revealing how this work can open minds and awaken hearts.
Lavishly illustrated, The Alchemy of Stones is an invitation to a journey of enlightenment, transformation, and spiritual metamorphosis aligned with the path of our living, conscious Earth.
• Reveals that those who love and work with crystals and stones have been intuitively following the path of spiritual alchemy
• Provides meditative practices with specific stones to go with each stage of the alchemical transformation process as well as other tools and techniques
• Includes an illustrated dictionary summarizing the spiritual qualities of more than 375 different minerals, crystals, and gemstones
The Alchemy of Stones presents an inspired breakthrough in Robert Simmons’ thirty-five year career of exploring and revealing the spiritual qualities and potentials of minerals, crystals, and gemstones. This holistic, Earth-based framework for understanding stones and their energies initiates readers into an alchemical worldview that leads to spiritual healing, transformation, and transcendence.
Engaging readers step by step, Simmons provides guidance on discovering and harnessing the three human powers of intention, attention, and imagination, each a crucial component for meeting and working in harmony with the energies of the Stone Beings. Simmons also introduces us to the Divine Feminine intelligence known as Sophia, or Wisdom. The Stone Beings are her emissaries, and through relating and co-creating with them, the healing and redemption of ourselves and the Earth becomes a reality.
Offering an illustrated dictionary of the spiritual qualities of more than 375 different minerals, crystals, and gemstones, Simmons also explores in depth what he calls the Four Cornerstones of the Alchemy of Stones: Moldavite, Phenacite, Azeztulite, and Rosophia. He discusses the stages of alchemical transformation and provides meditative practices with specific stones to go with each stage. He also explores how to work with stone mandalas, crystal body layouts, gemstone elixirs, and Orgonite energy devices and details powerful techniques for working with stones. Woven throughout are Simmons’ personal stories of the pivotal mystical experiences that triggered his capacity to feel stone energies and led him to develop his relationship with the stones, revealing how this work can open minds and awaken hearts.
Lavishly illustrated, The Alchemy of Stones is an invitation to a journey of enlightenment, transformation, and spiritual metamorphosis aligned with the path of our living, conscious Earth.
Excerpt
Excerpt from Chapter 16: Stone Beings & the Imaginal Realm
Stones, and all things in the world--from atoms to elephants to galaxies--express and embody the fundamental consciousness at the root of everything, and all of them have their own identities. Whether they have individualistic egos like we do is another question, but we can say that every center of consciousness, expressed as any self-organized object or creature, is a “self.” From this understanding, we recognize that both we and the stones we work with have selfhood--both human beings and stones are centers of consciousness. This is why I call them Stone Beings.
The underlying selfhood of all things, including us, can be designated by the word “soul.” Although soul pervades our whole being, the Seat of the Soul, as Novalis said, is the space of awareness “where the inner world and the outer world meet.” This is the subtle or imaginal realm, which partakes of the qualities of both matter and spirit. In the human body, this corresponds most directly to the heart. The intelligence expressed through our hearts is the intelligence of the soul. Although we also have a mind and a body, and are connected to the Divine in our spirit, the soul is where the spark of Wisdom exists in us. This is where our sincere and “heartfelt” intelligence comes from.
I hold with the insights of the alchemists, the Gnostics, the Sufis and a variety of other spiritual traditions that there is a Soul of the World. In the Alchemy of Stones, we follow the tradition of using the name Sophia to designate the World Soul. We remember that Sophia is the ancient Greek word for Wisdom, and we understand that Sophia is the living Wisdom who is expressed in what we perceive as the intelligence, beauty and harmony of the world. Sophia is a vast, yet intimate, intelligence who is embedded within every object and process in the world. Our own souls can also be viewed as emanations of Sophia, even though we are, at the same time, individual selves. We contain a holographic spark of Sophia’s divine wisdom, while still existing as our “separate” human identities. (To me, this is one of life’s greatest and most wonderful mysteries!)
When we work with the Stone Beings, we could say that we are working with Sophia’s “angels.” Angels have been traditionally conceived as being divine messengers, and the stones carry the sincere and benevolent “messages” of Sophia to us when we turn our attention to them and invite them into us. These messages are experienced as what we call the energies or metaphysical qualities of the stones. When they reach us, we may sense them as currents of vibration, heat, emotion and feeling, as images, sounds, scents, tastes, words, and even as imaginal figures in human forms. Each of these modalities is real, symbolically expressing the “message” of that stone, and can be enhanced through meditative practice.
Because we are operating in the realm of soul, we center ourselves in our hearts when we work with the Stone Beings. The practice of engaging a Stone Being through the heart can easily be synchronized with our breathing. On the exhale, we offer ourselves for relationship with the Stone Being, with a benevolent inner gesture of appreciation and well-wishing. With the inhale, we open our hearts in invitation, holding the intention that we trust the Stone Being, and that we appreciate the opportunity to receive whatever it offers. Setting the stage in this way lays the groundwork for genuine and helpful relationship between ourselves and Sophia, through her angels, the Stone Beings.
We may feel physical bodily sensations from holding a stone, but stone energies are not quite physical. They are patterns originating in the realm of pure Spirit, which we experience in the world of soul--the imaginal/psychoid realm of subtle matter-energy. We must use our own attention, intention and imagination to enter into rapport with the Stone Beings in this realm. Sometimes our connection can happen as quickly as picking up a stone and holding it. But this establishing of rapport--this attunement--is nonetheless what is going on. We are linking with the Stone Being through our subtle body, within the soul/imaginal/psychoid realm. And if we are well-enough attuned, we notice the “vibes” or other manifestations of our connection with the stone.
This is why I am sure no mechanical or electronic instrument will ever be able to measure what we experience as stone energies. The realm of soul is much greater than the purely “physical” world, and physical instruments cannot measure something that exists in a higher level of reality. Electromagnetic energies, and all phenomena we designate as “physical” exist within the much vaster world of the soul--the imaginal domain. They are secondary phenomena within the primary realm of True Imagination. Our perception of stone energies is a direct experience in the subtle/psychoid/imaginal/soul realm. That is what makes this work so unique and exciting. Soul-to-soul contact nourishes and enlivens soul.
Why do we find our contact with stone energies so compelling? Why do we bother to meditate with them and try to understand their spiritual qualities? Because we aspire to fulfill our own entelechy--our own encoded intentionality--through receiving what the stones’ energies offer us. And there is more to this. By engaging with the Stone Beings, we can help them fulfill their purpose--their encoded intentionality. This mutual nourishment is what the Activity of Blessing looks like in regard to our relationships with stones. It is yet another example of the co-creative feedback loop symbolized by the oroborous.
As we approach the idea of co-creation from this direction, we find ourselves yet again facing one of the mysteries of the universe: The more attention we give to beings in the imaginal realm, the more real they become! And this is not simply our “fantasy” becoming more vivid. It actually happens, and manifests in a multitude of ways.
Stones, and all things in the world--from atoms to elephants to galaxies--express and embody the fundamental consciousness at the root of everything, and all of them have their own identities. Whether they have individualistic egos like we do is another question, but we can say that every center of consciousness, expressed as any self-organized object or creature, is a “self.” From this understanding, we recognize that both we and the stones we work with have selfhood--both human beings and stones are centers of consciousness. This is why I call them Stone Beings.
The underlying selfhood of all things, including us, can be designated by the word “soul.” Although soul pervades our whole being, the Seat of the Soul, as Novalis said, is the space of awareness “where the inner world and the outer world meet.” This is the subtle or imaginal realm, which partakes of the qualities of both matter and spirit. In the human body, this corresponds most directly to the heart. The intelligence expressed through our hearts is the intelligence of the soul. Although we also have a mind and a body, and are connected to the Divine in our spirit, the soul is where the spark of Wisdom exists in us. This is where our sincere and “heartfelt” intelligence comes from.
I hold with the insights of the alchemists, the Gnostics, the Sufis and a variety of other spiritual traditions that there is a Soul of the World. In the Alchemy of Stones, we follow the tradition of using the name Sophia to designate the World Soul. We remember that Sophia is the ancient Greek word for Wisdom, and we understand that Sophia is the living Wisdom who is expressed in what we perceive as the intelligence, beauty and harmony of the world. Sophia is a vast, yet intimate, intelligence who is embedded within every object and process in the world. Our own souls can also be viewed as emanations of Sophia, even though we are, at the same time, individual selves. We contain a holographic spark of Sophia’s divine wisdom, while still existing as our “separate” human identities. (To me, this is one of life’s greatest and most wonderful mysteries!)
When we work with the Stone Beings, we could say that we are working with Sophia’s “angels.” Angels have been traditionally conceived as being divine messengers, and the stones carry the sincere and benevolent “messages” of Sophia to us when we turn our attention to them and invite them into us. These messages are experienced as what we call the energies or metaphysical qualities of the stones. When they reach us, we may sense them as currents of vibration, heat, emotion and feeling, as images, sounds, scents, tastes, words, and even as imaginal figures in human forms. Each of these modalities is real, symbolically expressing the “message” of that stone, and can be enhanced through meditative practice.
Because we are operating in the realm of soul, we center ourselves in our hearts when we work with the Stone Beings. The practice of engaging a Stone Being through the heart can easily be synchronized with our breathing. On the exhale, we offer ourselves for relationship with the Stone Being, with a benevolent inner gesture of appreciation and well-wishing. With the inhale, we open our hearts in invitation, holding the intention that we trust the Stone Being, and that we appreciate the opportunity to receive whatever it offers. Setting the stage in this way lays the groundwork for genuine and helpful relationship between ourselves and Sophia, through her angels, the Stone Beings.
We may feel physical bodily sensations from holding a stone, but stone energies are not quite physical. They are patterns originating in the realm of pure Spirit, which we experience in the world of soul--the imaginal/psychoid realm of subtle matter-energy. We must use our own attention, intention and imagination to enter into rapport with the Stone Beings in this realm. Sometimes our connection can happen as quickly as picking up a stone and holding it. But this establishing of rapport--this attunement--is nonetheless what is going on. We are linking with the Stone Being through our subtle body, within the soul/imaginal/psychoid realm. And if we are well-enough attuned, we notice the “vibes” or other manifestations of our connection with the stone.
This is why I am sure no mechanical or electronic instrument will ever be able to measure what we experience as stone energies. The realm of soul is much greater than the purely “physical” world, and physical instruments cannot measure something that exists in a higher level of reality. Electromagnetic energies, and all phenomena we designate as “physical” exist within the much vaster world of the soul--the imaginal domain. They are secondary phenomena within the primary realm of True Imagination. Our perception of stone energies is a direct experience in the subtle/psychoid/imaginal/soul realm. That is what makes this work so unique and exciting. Soul-to-soul contact nourishes and enlivens soul.
Why do we find our contact with stone energies so compelling? Why do we bother to meditate with them and try to understand their spiritual qualities? Because we aspire to fulfill our own entelechy--our own encoded intentionality--through receiving what the stones’ energies offer us. And there is more to this. By engaging with the Stone Beings, we can help them fulfill their purpose--their encoded intentionality. This mutual nourishment is what the Activity of Blessing looks like in regard to our relationships with stones. It is yet another example of the co-creative feedback loop symbolized by the oroborous.
As we approach the idea of co-creation from this direction, we find ourselves yet again facing one of the mysteries of the universe: The more attention we give to beings in the imaginal realm, the more real they become! And this is not simply our “fantasy” becoming more vivid. It actually happens, and manifests in a multitude of ways.
Product Details
- Publisher: Destiny Books (October 13, 2020)
- Length: 496 pages
- ISBN13: 9781644113103
Raves and Reviews
"If The Alchemy of Stones were a diamond, it would be graded at the highest level of quality. This most recent book by best-selling author Robert Simmons certainly captures the four C's of gemstone book excellence for its clarity, completeness, colorfulness, and class. The Alchemy of Stones is beautifully written and organized to showcase and share a lifetime of accumulated wisdom and knowledge about crystals and stones. Highly recommended!"
– Cynthia Sue Larson, author of Quantum Jumps and Reality Shifts
"...just like his earlier book, this one is large, beautiful, and bursting with information and inspiration. There’s so much here that it is very difficult to even attempt a review. If you are a stone person you will know you have to have this book. If you feel drawn to stones and want to work with them, you know you have to have this book."
– New Spirit Journal
This Alchemical Great Work changes everything that has ever been written about the magic of stones. The mystery is revealed ! The greatest spiritual path is everywhere around us. We are standing on it every moment--Earth, and Her presence as the harmonious, inaudible songs of stones. We normally cannot see the Earth as Spiritual Earth because more than seeing is required--it takes the unfolding, the doing, the alchemical living that Robert Simmons presents here, establishing working with stones as the single spiritual path most worth engaging.
– Robert Sardello, author of Silence: The Mystery of Wholeness and Heartfulness
"The Stones and the Earth are alive, and Robert Simmons has noticed it! The Alchemy of Stones takes readers deep into the World Interiority, where we meet and become friends with the Stone People. This breaks the terrible spell of materialism and dissolves the fantasy of objectivity. In this book, we discover that the ancient art of alchemy is very much alive within the serious and playful work of soul-making that the Stone People are ready to do with us. Robert’s special genius is his ability to sense and interpret the energies and messages of stones. His articulation of a new worldview--a vision within which the stories and music of the Stone Beings, the Earth, and the Cosmos are re-enlivened--is truly magical."
– Daniel Deardorff, author of The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, and Psyche
The Alchemy of Stones is a valuable book of healing and transformation that is both approachable to those who are new to working with stones, yet deep enough to keep the advanced practitioner interested. Robert’s attention to detail and love of the Stone Beings makes for enjoyable reading that is educational and inviting to the magical mind (imagination). Filled with detailed techniques, meditations, and crystal recommendations for use on self or with others, this is sure to be a book utilized by Healers for years to come. I personally was moved by the focus on creating a reciprocal relationship with the Stone Beings and the Wisdom of the Earth itself. I believe this connection is paramount for navigating the changing times we live in.
– Salicrow, psychic medium and author of Jump Girl
The Alchemy of Stones by Robert Simmons is by far the best and most inspired book I have ever read on the alchemical healing power of stones. It is no coincidence that in the timeless art of alchemy the experience of connecting with the Higher Self is symbolically expressed as the lapis or The Philosopher’s Stone. There is real magic and something sacred--beyond the merely physical--to be found in stones and our relationship to them. I was totally amazed, and utterly delighted, when I began reading this book. Much to my surprise, I couldn’t put it down, as there was similar magic being transmitted through its very words ! I noticed that I began telling everyone I knew who had even the slightest interest in the healing power in rocks, stones, gems, and crystals that they should read this book. I can’t recommend The Alchemy of Stones highly enough.
– Paul Levy, author of Dispelling Wetiko and The Quantum Revelation
"The Alchemy of Stones: Co-creating with Crystals, Minerals, and Gemstones for Healing and Transformation is a must-have guide for those being introduced to stone alchemy, a deeper understanding for those looking to go further, and various practices that everyone can try."
– Elizabeth Konkel, San Francisco Book Review
"The Alchemy of Stones: Co-creating with Crystals, Minerals, and Gemstones for Healing and Transformation is a must-have guide for those being introduced to stone alchemy, a deeper understanding for those looking to go further, and various practices that everyone can try."
– Elizabeth Konkel, San Francisco Book Review
“The book has lots of information, all of it interesting and easy to read. Throughout, there is a sense of an amazed inner child seeing the mysteries of the world for the first time. Simmons' sense of wonder is infectious and healing in its own right. If, like me, you’ve got crystals around the house that you enjoy looking at and holding, this book will help you bring them into your world fully so that they can work up to their potential.”
– Anna Jedrziewski, InannaWorks
“I have a shelf of books on crystals, stones, and minerals. Had The Alchemy of Stones come out earlier, I might not have needed the others. Robert Simmons has written a marvelous book that is easy to follow and understand, though the subject is complex. It is a magnificent reference book”
– Bob Casady, Psychic Magic
“This beautifully illustrated guide assists with personal and planetary healing and enlightenment provides intuitive examples that others have used to create balance and inner transformation.”
– Renee Blodgett, We Blog the World
“The Alchemy of Stones is beautifully written and organized to showcase and share a lifetime of accumulated wisdom and knowledge about crystals and stones. Readers with a specific area of interest can quickly find the appropriate chapter, and dive into those areas immediately. Exercises are abundantly provided to encourage readers to explore an extraordinary depth and breadth of approaches to relating with crystals and stones. The Alchemy of Stones is such a rich book readers can spend a lifetime delving into it and exploring the knowledge provided.”
– Lisa Mc Sherry, Facing North
"The Alchemy of Stones presents an inspired breakthrough in Robert Simmons’ thirty-five year career of exploring and revealing the spiritual qualities and potentials of minerals, crystals, and gemstones. Lavishly Illustrated The Alchemy of Stones is an invitation to a journey of enlightenment, transformation, and spiritual metamorphosis aligned with the path of our living, conscious Earth."
– Creations Magazine
"The Alchemy of Stones is more than a book. It is the pure distillation of thousands of hours of discerning engagement with stones and their energies, and its aim is to pull back the curtain and reveal the source of their magic."
– Anne Lewis, Metaphysical Guide to Tucson
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