Aligned Alchemy Podcast with Ichel Francis

I was asked a question about the podcast many moons ago, and I’m finally getting around to answering it!

The question was, “What is alchemy?” (Fair enough, since the podcast is called “Aligned Alchemy,” after all.)

Alchemy is one of those words that is bandied around in spiritual circles, like “alignment,” “transmutation,” transcendence,” etc. Spiritual alchemy is basically the same thing the alchemists of old did, transforming their lead into gold, but now we're alchemizing our spiritual experience; our life experience.

Think of someone in your life who went through a really difficult, life-altering situation. Someone that you greatly admire because of who they've become today due to that experience. They took something dreadful that you would never wish on anyone and they're now showing others how to alchemize that darkness and come out into the light.

So that, to me, is what alchemy is. It's taking the most difficult, the most painful, the darkest parts of yourself and your life, and turning them into gold. And we're not talking science labs here. We're talking about your LIFE.

Nature has seasons and ebbs and flows, so why should WE be any different?

One of the biggest lies that we have been told (and this is one thing that I REALLY stand on) is that your worth comes from how much you do and how much you can constantly go go go go go without stopping.

The idea that the more you do, the more valuable you are is an absolute crock of utter nonsense.

Nature gives us all the cues and leads and everything that we need. Honestly, there are lessons to be found there EVERY single day.

If you take your cues from nature and you really take the time to pause and observe it, soaking up all the wisdom, you’ll see that nature bends to seasons and cycles, ebbs and flows.

Nature is never going full out 100 miles an hour nonstop. It knows when to push. It knows when to pull back. It knows when to be in action, it knows when to be in rest.
So, what if you took your cues from nature? What if you allowed yourself to flow into these seasons and cycles as well?

And you can learn all about my upcoming Sacred Seasonal Collective Mastermind here (doors open back up soon): https://www.ichelfrancis.com/sacred-seasonal-collective

This week’s episode is mostly a PSA for these challenging times, but also serves as a more nuanced way of looking at the concept of self-care and how to discover the specific "medicine" that we need.

This episode of the Aligned Alchemy podcast explores…

-Why there's actually nothing to worry about despite these intense solar flares
Why it's important to move out of the left brain during these challenging times

-Why it's perfectly fine if you're not experiencing anything groundbreaking

-Why multitasking takes us out of the moment

-How to identify what YOU need and how to give that medicine to yourself

You’ve got this. We’ve got this. We’ll find our way through.

The lesson in this week’s episode was inspired by nature yet again. The swallows didn’t come for me this time, though…it was the tulips!

Here’s how it went down -

Last week, between calls, I took a little break outside. But before going back into the office to resume work, I decided to pause and enjoy my beautiful tulips a little bit longer.

I really immersed myself in the moment, completely present with the beauty, the explosion of color, the texture, the aroma. I dedicated all of my senses to this experience (as one tends to do this deep into Taurus season).

And then, I suddenly realized that I had things all backwards...(and you probably do, too...).

Listen in for some timely advice and lessons from the tulips!

A little lesson I learned from the swallows…

Think about the dreams and aspirations you had - maybe as a teenager, maybe in your early 20s. How aligned are you with them now? Did you abandon these dreams at any point? Or did you choose to keep going with them?

This is your reminder to check in with your heart, to check in with your dreams. Are you following your heart path? Pause and ask yourself…

“Is this still the direction I want to be moving in?”

Swallow medicine asks us: “Are you moving towards your dreams or are you going backwards? It’s okay to pivot, but you’ve got to keep moving forward.”

The most powerful, important change is the one that YOU choose…

It's the one that YOU instigate, it's the one that YOU co-create with the universe, and that becomes an unstoppable force.

How many of you from a really young age asked, "What am I doing here?"

Like it or not, the fact of the matter is that every single thing about you, YOU chose.

Your mom, your dad, your siblings, the color of your skin, your gender, your nationality - you chose to be here and now for a reason, to learn lessons and evolve the way your soul needs to at this moment.

And not only do you have your spiritual lineage, you also carry the wisdom and lessons of your ancestry and bloodline here on earth!

So, do we come to the planet with a natural ability, or is it more a matter of teaching, practicing, and mastery? And do our children inherit our gifts, too?

A word of caution as you ponder this week's Aligned Alchemy Podcast episode on nature vs nurture - you might not like what comes up to the surface under this full moon in Scorpio!

Everything is illuminated, bringing the hidden out front and center...

I advise you to lean into this energy by allowing hidden or unexplored truths to bubble to the surface. Trust that everything happens for a reason! And do let me know what you discover...

If you’re sensitive to locations and environments, the energy of specific places may greatly affect your personal energy as soon as foot touches ground.

I believe many of us possess this gift of clairempathy…

Think back to a time when you looked at photos of a seemingly-perfect vacation spot or flipped through the listing of a promising new home, but when you actually stepped into the area, physically, you felt something else entirely.

My advice? Listen to this inner knowing and choose where you spend your time wisely!

This episode of the Aligned Alchemy podcast explores…

If a summer solstice retreat in the highlands of Scotland, on sacred ancestral ground, with sister goddesses (and yours truly) sounds like your idea of heaven, you can check out all the details here: https://www.ichelfrancis.com/retreat

Spaces are limited, so I encourage you to secure your spot asap if you feel called to join us in June.

How many life metaphors are you being given all the time but are not finding the true lesson within them?

We often think that signs are completely mundane, ordinary things (which they are, to the layperson).

However, every sign is interlaced with magic and ancient wisdom containing beautiful lessons and messages.

IF and only IF you choose to see them...

If you don't, it's easy to think you're just moving through life on a mundane hamster wheel.

Once we break free from this illusion, we realize that magic is interwoven into every single thing...making every encounter meaningful. 

Aligned Alchemy podcast explores…

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