An Interview with John Reid, III
by Russ House

Reprinted from Issue 19 of The Stone

John is the author of The Minor Opus, a work on Plant Alchemy. We are delighted that John has been able to set aside the time to make a presentation at the 6th Annual PON seminar in Colorado Springs, his first for us. This interview was conducted via email between February 19 and 24, 1997.

RH: John, please tell us something about yourself, how you got involved in Alchemy, your major influences.

JR: I was introduced to the subject of Hermetics by a magician when I was about 23 years old. The first two books I got on the subject were Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon and A Compendium of Alchemical Processes. The very first alchemical experiment I tried was "Silver Transmuted into Gold by the Action of Light". It of course did not work, but it was fun to build the apparatus to conduct the experiment.

Sometime after this I got my first book by Frater Albertus titled Alchemist of the Rocky Mountains. The funny thing was, I was actually looking for the Alchemist’s Handbook also by Albertus. The guy at Weiser said they were out, but, by the way he had a signed and numbered copy of another book by the author. I got it and it changed my life.

Within three years I had a library that contained a complete set of Alchemical Laboratory Bulletins, Parachemy and Essentia magazines, and most of the other books and material published by Albertus and the college. I would say that my greatest influence in alchemy would definitely be Albertus.

Manfred Junius' book on plant alchemy was also a tremendous influence. [The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy, published by Inner Traditions]. The lectures given by Jean Dubuis at the first PON seminar (October 1992 in Winfield, Illinois) helped tremendously. Also, there were persons that I meet along the way who were kind enough to explain certain intricacies of the work to me.

RH: Your book, The Minor Opus, has been published on the Internet at Adam McLean's excellent Alchemy site (http://www.levity.com/alchemy). It has prompted a lot of interest. For those who have not read it, what does it cover?

JR: The intent behind the writing the book was to freely share any information and processes concerning the plant and mineral work that were revealed to me from the work I was doing in the laboratory.

Hopefully it will help the student understand the differences between what is spagyric and alchemical. In a nut shell the book covers the production of herbal products according to the spagyric method and gives detailed instructions on how to go about this, including the production of a spagyric plant stone.

It also takes a crack at trying to introduce the novice into the art of alchemy. I have also attempted to explain -- I hope lucidly -- about the philosophy of alchemy, the three essentials as I understand them, and the four elements.

The final part of the book gives detailed instructions on the preparation of the Archæus of Water and the creation of an alchemical plant stone or the Opus Minor.

RH: What do you see as the fundamental difference between spagyrics and alchemy? Is it a real distinction, or is there some overlap between them?

JR: Well, on the one hand, the spagyric technique is the foundation of the alchemical art, at least as far as the manual operations go. But every spagyric product is definitely not alchemical. There is a little debate brewing in certain circles as to which particular method of preparing herbal products deserves to called truly spagyric. Fundamentally spagyria is separation, purification and recombination of the matter being worked on. By itself the operation is very Newtonian or mechanistic, but when combined with the other two branches of Hermetic science it becomes something much more. What alchemy does is to take the spagyric processes a step further; it demands an interaction between the alchemist and his matter. This interaction is brought about by "conscious intent".

RH: Is it a difference of method?

JR: Yes. The very fact that the alchemist perceives that he is able to interact with his matter, sets up a relationship with the matter, that is just not present in the mind of a mechanistic worker. The view the alchemist fosters is one of an organic, living, symbiosis between himself and his matter.

Because of this he will take great pains to produce by hand (art) all of the ingredients used in preparing his Magistry. This includes the collection of water used in the fermentation processes, solve and coagula of the salt etc.

The alchemist does this because he wishes to nurture the etheric vitality found in his subject, indeed he seeks to increase its virtue. This relationship starts out as a merely intellectual exercise, but as time goes on the work changes the practitioner. A fundamental shift occurs in the consciousness of the alchemist, and his perception of the world changes. He realizes that the fundamental impetus that God uses to continually create and sustain the universe is love. He also realizes that because God is omnipresent, so too is the original creative impetus of love omnipresent. It is this energy, this chi, this life force, that the alchemist seeks to incorporate into his products.

RH: Do you plan to bring the book out in print again?

JR: At present the book is being translated into the German language. I would like to bring the book back into print in an English version. If this is done it will definitely be an expanded version with more detailed coverage on the water work and other experiments in the mineral kingdom.

RH: Do you use astrology in your work? Does it play a major or a minor role?

JR: Yes, astrology used properly is an indispensable aid in the work, but it can quickly become a very complicated thing that refuses to let you begin a work for years. For this reason I use a person’s natal chart to define what energies, or lack thereof, a person is born with. This you could say is the diagnosis.

In order to prepare a medicine I prefer to use Astrocyclic pulsations based on the 7 & 12 phase cycles promoted by Albertus. My understanding of their use is as follows. The 7 phase cycle represents the mental or spiritual energies that are to be worked with, it is associated with the 7 planets of the ancients, and the 7 days of the week. The 12 phase cycle represents the material conditions, the moon’s phases, and its approximate 28 day trek through the signs of the zodiac. Depending on the need, 7 & 12 phase cycles, can be used that span a number of years or microseconds.

RH: Is some knowledge of Qabala important in having practical success?

JR: Yes. If spagyria represents the mechanical operations of the Hermetic science, and astrocyclic pulsations (astrology) show the ambient etheric energies present for use, then Qabala gives us a framework in which to discern the proper uses and manipulations of this energy.

It is said that God represents, on the one hand, the deepest passion or desire one could imagine. And, on the other hand, He represents the complete and absolute fulfillment of the previously mentioned desire. These two halves when joined create bliss, because what ever need or desire God has, it is automatically and completely satiated.

Hermetic wisdom states that every manifestation in the universe has love as its fundamental impetus. Any appearance to the contrary is due to a lack of understanding on the part of the onlooker. Ageless wisdom goes on to say that this vision of evil actually originates from within us. A better way to put this is that acceptance of the illusion gives form and credibility to that which is a lie.

I am not saying that what our senses report to us should be ignored. I am saying that what is reported by the senses is not the entire truth. The universe is the being of God, and God never created anything that is inimical to its own nature. Evil, in and of itself, is a lie and does not exist, yet the old Qabalists warn us not to deny the existence of evil. For a long time I had a problem in coming to terms with this apparent paradox.

The best I can come up with is the example of 2 + 2 = 3. Everyone knows that this statement is a lie. Yet we can see it and move our fingers over the printed form. In this respect the world of matter is the world of illusions and lies. On this plane, that which is not believes itself to be, and it will beseech you to accept its existence. Yet it truly is not because it has no lawful basis or foundation in the archetypal, creative and formative worlds, because it is not true -- it is a lie, it never was.

One of my mentors stated to me that Christ was able to cure the sick and maimed not because he fixed something that was broken, but because he saw and affirmed the truth behind form, the true nature of our being. Which simply is this, that the universe is divine in origin, and what we call matter is created and sustained through the mental imagery of God.

It is said that when the alchemist reaches a state of adepthood, his will is one with the One Will. He is then able to control the currents of the life-force and negate any appearance of disharmony before him. Until this state is reached the admonition of the old qabalists should be heeded, or in the immortal words of the Rolling Stones at the end of the "Midnight Rambler" "I’ll stick my knife right down your throat baby and it hurts!".

RH: Do you incorporate Qabalistic practice as part of your work, or is it used more to provide a theoretical background?

JR: When you are practicing alchemy you are doing, living, Qabala. The work finds its expression through your life. The glyph allows you to discern meaning, or the spirit behind the forms of life’s expression. The more you understand something, obviously the better you are able to utilize it.

Qabala not only shows effect, but also cause. Over time this builds a confident feeling of control in one’s life. I think this brings us back to the phrase I used earlier about "conscious intent". The premise of all this is simple and is stated something like this: All matter in the three kingdoms of nature that is not on a level of consciousness equal to that of self-consciousness experienced by man is considered to be in the domain of sub-consciousness. Sub-consciousness itself uses deductive reasoning, and is amenable to suggestion (control) from self consciousness.

The Art of Spagyria is not content with just bottling the sun, its true aim is to cause a dawning of realization in the conscious mind of man about his true nature. Again I have to point out that this is not a merely intellectual exercise, it is rooted in an altered perception of reality.

This shifted perception is born from the alchemist placing his habitual daily actions and thought patterns under the most intense scrutiny. When this is done the seeker finds themselves realizing that their daily experiences are actually populated with events that have taken on a flavoring or tinting extrapolated from habitual thought patterns. They will in fact be amazed to find that many of their life’s experiences are born from their most vividly intense mental imagery and are uncomfortably close to being carbon copies of this habitual imagery.

In the end this exercise develops faith and plants the seed thought which is the basis for the radical shift in perception I have been speaking about. This is especially potent I think, if the individual has been using their innate ability to create from mental imagery improperly, and the life they see before them is a living hell. I say this because when the correlation between thought and experience is realized consciously, sub-consciousness simply deduces the following: If my habitual negative thought patterns have created my present undesirable environment, then habitual positive patterns of thought will create a desirable environment.

When this happens the alchemist steps into a new world, filled with possibilities he never before dared to dream of. This creates an attitude that is, in almost every way, contrary to the natural man. Conscious intent now takes on much deeper meaning. Combine this with the use of sound and color as Qabala teaches and you step onto the threshold of science that postulates that there are chemical reactions that can only be instigated by the conscious trained mind.

RH: John, I have been rereading the section in your book on the alkahest. I find it fascinating. One of the things that immediately attracted me to your work is the role of vinegar on the mineral aspect of the plants which opens a number of avenues not otherwise possible. Your alkahest is something more than 'just alcohol', and yet alcohol is involved. Can you walk us through the process, and explain the steps? (Note: This chapter is reprinted in this issue.)

JR: All right. Alcohol is distilled from red wine. This alcohol needs to be as pure as possible, anywhere from 96 to 99% pure (190 proof ethyl alcohol). Be sure to save the phlegm from the rectifications, as well as the colored tincture from the original distillation.

Red wine vinegar is concentrated by freezing, the container is then inverted, and the frozen mass allowed to partially thaw, and drip into another container. The bottom container will contain concentrated red wine vinegar, the top one a colored ice plug. This procedure is repeated at least seven times. Be sure to save the colored water from the ice plugs. A distillation is performed on the concentrated vinegar. You will end up with a clear concentrated vinegar in the receiver, and a colored tincture left in the distillation flask.

In the book, I separate the distillate into two fractions, based on temperature. This involves some complicated distillation techniques and is not necessary.

Pour the water from the ice into the tincture of vinegar. Boil this liquid and the tincture of wine down to a honey like consistency in separate pots. Use a heat lamp to bring both to complete dryness, it will look like hardened tar. Grind both of these to a powder. Place these, spoonful by spoonful, into a hot crucible and kiln. Perform a calcination on this until they are snow white.

Use the phlegm of the wine distillation to extract the water soluble salts. Use repeated solve and coagulas to ensure their purity. You can energize these salts by allowing them to repeatedly deliquesce outdoors during spring.

Take the alcohol and cohobate it with its dual body, allow it to circulate over night. Exhale it off gently (vapor distillation). Let all cool and repeat the process. This should all be done 7 times. Stopper the receiver with the alcohol. Add just enough of the phlegm from the alcohol to take the salts into solution. Litmus test will show this to be an alkaline solution. Add just enough of the vinegar to bring the solution to neutrality. Evaporate off all the liquids to expose the salts.

Assemble the distillation train. In the receiver have some of the rectified alcohol. The end of the take off tube must be under the level of alcohol, or else you will lose your spirit when it comes over. Into the retort place the neutral body. Heat the distillation flask in a hot sand bath. In the space of an hour or so a spirit will rise from the body and unite with the spirit of wine. Stopper the receiver immediately after distillation is done. The residuum in the distillation flask should be calcined again, salts extracted, made neutral and the entire process repeated. Keep this up until all or most of your body has united with the spirit of wine.

Our spirit of wine and spiritualized body are rhythmically circulated in their flask, in a body temperature incubator. Simply heat during the day and let it cool at night. This is done for 14 days. When done you will have a product that extracts the sulphur from an herb or crystal in little time.

RH: Was this process for the alkahest influenced by your reading of some of the modern or classical authors?

JR: Yes. Manfred Junius’ Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy and Basil Valentine’s Triumphal Chariot of Antimony.

RH: What do you see as the purpose of the alchemical path?

JR: Realization. What I mean by this is the unfoldment that happens to the alchemist’s consciousness as he does this work. Slowly he/she begins to realize the true nature of their being. When this happens the alchemist realizes that what he once considered as his "personal" volition, is actually a vehicle of expression through which the One Will works to bring about manifestation.

RH: Thanks, John, for making the time to share with our readers. We look forward to your workshop at the upcoming seminar.

An excerpt from: The Minor Opus by John H. Reid III

© Copyright, 1992, 1997 by John H. Reid III. All rights reserved. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

Chapter 5: Alkahest of the Vegetable Kingdom.

In spagyrics there is a special menstruum called an alkahest. This product is able to extract the spagyric sulfur from plants and minerals in a very short time, thereby saving the alchemist much time and labor. This menstruum is really very easy to prepare. It requires only patience and diligence in the work.

Take one gallon of red wine and rectify it seven times as was described earlier. When completed save the alcohol in a mason jar labeled as such. Be sure to also save the phlegm left from the rectifications. The dark-colored tincture that remains after the rectification is to be boiled off gently. In the bottom of the container, you will see a honey-like pitch. Dry this by evaporation until it forms a gum or hardened tar-like substance.

Take three one gallon plastic containers of red wine vinegar and place them into the freezer without their caps. Allow the vinegar to freeze overnight. Take the containers from the freezer and invert them allow the vinegar to drip out of the containers into another one. After a few hours you will find a strong-smelling colored water has filled the second container. In the first is left a plug of frozen water. Repeat this procedure at least seven times and your water will be sharp and very penetrating. Be sure to save the water from the ice plugs. Take the sharp concentrated vinegar after its seven rectifications and place it into a distillation flask. Assemble a distillation train and apply heat. Distill slowly and you will get a fraction that comes over at 100 degrees C (water) and another that comes over at 103 degrees C and peaks at 105 degrees C (concentrated vinegar). You must switch receivers between the time when all of the water has distilled over and the corrosive spirit starts to come over. Be sure though not to burn the colored tincture by urging the fire to rashly. Pour the tincture in the receiver into a mason jar marked "tincture of vinegar." This procedure should be repeated three more times. But only distill off the water and do not make the spirit fly.

Pour the water that was left from the ice plugs into the colored tincture left after the distillation. Dry this liquid into a gum or hardened tar as you did the body of its sibling.

Grind both gums to a powder. Place them spoonful by spoonful into a crucible and calcine them to whiteness. In the beginning you will see the impurities burn away from their bodies and rise as a smoke (use a hood or do it outside). When they have become purified to a snowy whiteness they are ready. Use the clear phlegm saved from the rectification of the alcohol to extract the true body of our spirits from the calcined matter. The body of the spirits is the base of our operation. They must be exceedingly pure. To test their spirituality take them outside on a clear spring day. If truly pure they will turn to liquid and leave no trace of solid behind. When gently heated to remove the moisture of the atmosphere they will turn solid again.

Take the rectified alcohol and cohobate it with its dual body. Exhale it off gently (i.e., vapor distillation). Let the apparatus cool and then cohobate the spirit onto the body once more. Distill again and cohobate seven or more times, the more often the better.

Add just enough of the phlegm from the alcohol rectification to dissolve the bodies. Add just enough of the vinegar so nature will find her balance. Evaporate off all liquids. Assemble the distillation train. In the receiver have some of the rectified alcohol. The end of the take-off tube must be under the level of the alcohol or else you will lose your spirit when it comes over. Into the retort place the body. Heat the distillation flask in a hot sand bath and you will see in the space of an hour or so the body rise and come to unite with the spirit of wine. Let the apparatus cool. Remove the spirits in the receiver and place them into a well-closed flask. Be sure to put back in enough alcohol to submerge the end of the take-off tube.

Calcine the matter left in the retort. Add enough phlegm or distilled water to dissolve what is in the retort. Add the rectified vinegar as you did before and distill as you did before. Keep this operation up until all or most of the body has united with spirit of wine.

Take the flask containing the spirit and the body and circulate in rhythm with the sun and moon for fourteen days. After the circulation is completed, let the flask cool. The body now spiritualized will always come over with the united spirit. Keep this menstruum, this magistery, in a bottle closed very tightly. It will separate the spagyric sulfur from an herb in very little time. It will also work on crystals, when they are prepared according to our art.

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