The Alchemy of Inner Work: A Guide for Turning Illness and Suffering Into True Health and Well-Being

by Lorie Eve Dechar

Overview

"My sincere hope is that everyone will read this treasure trove of essential inner knowledge. This book is a magnificent accomplishment."
— Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit

Alchemy is the science of transformation—how to change one thing into something else. In The Alchemy of Inner Work, Dechar and Fox examine how illness, suffering, and dis-ease—the "lead" of our lives—can become the "gold" of our authentic selves, and the key to good health and well-being.

Drawing on traditional Chinese medicine, Eastern and Western alchemical traditions, Kabbalah, and Jungian psychology—plus case studies from working with patients—the authors provide hands-on insights for bringing "the soul of medicine" back into our lives.

The book includes:

• A simple introduction to the ancient practices and principles alchemy
• How the alchemical model offers a profoundly new path to true health and well-being
• An array of practices for removing the barriers that block our own healing energy
• An invitation to alchemical "dream work" as a support on the path of healing

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578636860
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	01/01/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	883,450
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Lorie Eve Dechar holds a master’s degree in acupuncture from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute and training in Archetypal Psychology, Gestalt and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy. She was a member of the faculty of the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City and leads workshops and trainings nationwide. With her husband, Benjamin Fox, she co-founded A New Possibility, a global healing and learning community.

Benjamin Fox is a professional counseling astrologer and a licensed massage therapist with 20 years of integrative bodywork and healing experience. He lives with his wife, Lorie Eve Dechar, in Blue Hill, Maine, and Nyack, New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Part 1 Modern-Day Alchemy 1

1 Why Alchemy Now? 3

2 Repairing a Broken Marriage 15

3 The Connecting Link of Imagination and the Soul 27

4 The Alchemical Quest 43

5 Inner Work = Outer Change 57

Part 2 Entering the Laboratory 77

6 The Keys to Your Laboratory 79

7 Archetypes 91

8 Turning the Wheel of Life 107

9 The Alchemical Medicine Cabinet 125

10 Points and Portals 145

11 Recovering the World of Your Dreams 171

Part 3 Discovering Gold 191

12 The Alchemy of Gender 193

13 Treasuring Darkness 209

Conclusion: A New Story of Healing 227

Acknowledgments 233

Appendix: Medicinal Sources 237

Bibliography 243

Editorial Reviews

"The Alchemy of Inner Work shows the reader, through the author’s transparency and lucid presentation, how notions of soul and subtle body are necessary for the only healing that matters, a return to wholeness. The book vibrates with years of experience, and many lifetimes of engaging the alchemical mystery of the creation of a Self that has a body. I highly recommend it to both the general reader and therapist alike."

Nathan Schwartz-Salant

"It is a pleasure for me to endorse, The Alchemy of Inner Work. My sincere hope is that everyone will read this treasure trove of essential inner knowledge. This book is a magnificent accomplishment."

Caroline Myss

"Lorie Dechar brilliantly illuminates the rich symbolism of Chinese medicine for application to the modern lifestyle.  In this extensive guide she blends magic with practical techniques to help people transform illness and manifest their destiny. The Alchemy of Inner Work elegantly explains practical methods that are applicable for both clinicians and non-professionals—highly recommended!"

CT Holman

"More pertinent today than ever, Lorie Dechar's Alchemy of Inner Work skillfully weaves the timeless wisdom of the Tao into a life changing journey, touched with the intimacy of clinical experience. Combining myth, medicine, and magic, the book both comforted and challenged me, as it worked its way into my cells to transform me as only true alchemy can. What a masterpiece!"

Randine Lewis

"If you’re very lucky in life, you’ll discover a wise guide like Lorie Dechar, who will take your hand and lead you on the path of magic and mystery of healing at the level of your soul. With her wealth of knowledge and deeply kind heart, Lorie gives you practical tools and information you can put to immediate use and a true initiation into wholeness. This is a new form of medicine that redefines what healing really means. Lorie has supported powerful change in my own life, and there is no one better equipped to help you transform both your inner and outer worlds. This book will always be an essential resource for you, no matter where you are in your own personal journey."

Jean Haner

"True health is more than the elimination of symptoms, it is a reconnection of our bodies with our souls and spirits. This understanding is urgently needed in our world.  The Alchemy of Inner Work is a magnificent book, a gift for all who seek to transform suffering and disease into well-being and wholeness, for themselves and for others. It is the right book at the right time."

Michael J. Gelb