THE ALCHEMY OF RESTORYING
Over the last few years I have found myself on a wild roller-coaster ride of transformation in just about every area of my life. It has been a thrilling (and at times terrifying) ride through to the depths of my fears and up to the blissful heights of my hopes and dreams. At times, it has been hard to discern truth from illusion. Whilst at other times I have experienced levels of clarity and insight previous unknown to me on a micro and macro scale. There were many moments when I was so exhausted, I longed to get off and rest for a while. Then just around the next bend, I would find myself suddenly impatient, wanting to make life go faster. I guess this is the paradoxical nature of our human life; a smorgasbord of experience where we get to taste a little (or a lot) of everything dependent on our appetite.
Evidence from across the world shows us that our guiding human mythology is undergoing a transformation on a global and cosmological scale. The perceived status quo and stability are shown to be an illusion, in a universe where the only constant appears to be change. Change and disruption are natural catalysts for metamorphosis, without which we wouldn’t evolve. The problem is that our traditional social narratives would have us believe otherwise, seeking stability and security in all the wrong places (i.e. material success, superiority narratives, domination over the natural world, etc.). At no other time in recorded history have we been as able to create personal and collective change that benefits all life on planet earth as we are now.
The only question is whether we will take these opportunities to restory our lives that are presenting themselves to us now.
The process of restorying opens us up to continuous transformation; a kind of inner and outer alchemy. Life’s experiences provide us with the fuel to transform the lead of our old stories into the gold of new opportunities. The restorying cycle itself presents us with a pathway back into the core of our unique thread in the human tapestry. We are given the opportunity to rediscover our authentic story line that sits waiting behind the layers of social conditioning that we have grown up with.
As an ancient and mysterious art, alchemy is hard to put into words or a simple step-by-step guide. Each of us experiences it in our own way, dependent on our personal vision, mission and story. Restorying alchemy, takes our essence or our prima materia (the spark) catalyzed when we are born, through a process of separation where we experience ourselves as isolated and individual (the tests). From here we experience the conjunction of the core elements of our narrative, coming together in a deeper pattern that points the way towards our true purpose (the clues). Then the elements of our authentic story undergo a fermentation process where the imaginal cells of our story fuse into a new and expanded identity (metamorphosis). This leads to the eventual distillation of our unique talents (gifts) and the final stage of coagulation: the purified essence of our human narrative and legacy. It is during this final stage we realize that everything in our external life stems from our internal levels of consciousness and that we are interconnected with all of life on earth.
So how does this alchemical process play out in the context of our busy daily lives?
- It is a daily choice to consciously breathe into and let go of anything that we have outgrown, creating space for new understanding, experiences and opportunities to emerge.
- It is our ability to see our ‘tests’ and challenges as areas of opportunity and evolution.
- It is the understanding that ‘daily magic’ is actually our innate ability to co-create with the natural forces of life (once we become aware of them!).
- It takes bravery to accept that there is no ‘one size fits all’ model of personal transformation (no matter how many books / coaches / motivational speakers promise you this) and that the adventure of your life can only be discovered and restoried fully by YOU as the hero of your journey.
We all have the ability to restory any aspect of our experience that feels out of harmony or integrity. You will know the areas that are calling for metamorphosis through the stress they cause you and others. Stress is a trigger for transformation. Anxiety is its voice. If you find yourself longing to be more, do more or escape certain aspects of your life, then perhaps it’s time to give yourself the greatest gift of all: your freedom from stories that no longer fit.
In a few weeks time I will be launching an online quest that dives deeper into the alchemy of restorying. These journeys are powerful. I have seen them liberate and catalyze change in people again and again. I have had clients contact me years later to share their stories of transformation that continue to occur as the ripple effects of these journeys take place. I invite you to join us if you are ready to ride the roller coaster of your experiences and prepare to liberate yourself permanently from the bondage of your old, limiting stories.
Will you enter into the alchemy of your life adventure?
I hope so.
