[INWARD STONE SERIES] Stage IV: Rubedo: The Alchemy of the Inward Stone
The Philosopher’s Stone—lapis philosophorum—is an alchemical term describing the union of the purified ego with our divine nature. ‘Philosophy’ represents our spiritual reality, while ‘Stone’ symbolises our physical existence. The Philosopher’s Stone is the mysterious embodiment of the divine within human form—a potential inherent in everyone.
As babies and young children, we begin our journey deeply connected to our divine essence, effortlessly living in the present moment. We recognise this divinity in children at ease and feel naturally drawn to them. Yet, young children lack the cognitive capacity for self-awareness of their divinity—their connection is unconscious. The purpose of our life journey is to cultivate a mature ego and then expand our consciousness to consciously recognise our divine nature. Through the growing pains of ego development, we often lose touch with our true, divine reality. The spiritual journey is about remembering our ‘home.’ This inner path requires both the Philosopher—our spiritual wisdom—to guide the Stone—our ego—toward deeper truth, and the Stone to develop enough consciousness to recognise its true source.
Together, the Philosopher and the Stone achieve the goal of alchemy: the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone. This is embodied spirituality—being a living manifestation of divine knowledge. Such individuals do not consciously aim to serve others; by simply being themselves, their presence naturally serves humanity, as there is no separation between self, humanity, and the divine.
This experience is akin to being reborn. Life is no longer viewed solely through the lens of ego, defined by growth, suffering, and death. Instead, we live through divine knowledge—still experiencing authentic suffering, yet embodying unconditional love. In this state, we realise our eternal and boundless nature.
The Lived Vision Recreation above depicts how the first Inward Philosopher’s Stone was symbolically expressed in my dream. The image is of chakra-inspired jewellery I designed a few years ago. In the dream, each chakra was filled with colored resin, and the piece was complete—symbolising the completion of the Inward Stone.
The chakras play a significant role in this dream, as the Inward Philosopher’s Stone represents the integration of all seven chakras. The dream’s depiction was uniquely meaningful to me.
