Samhain Special: Introducing the new design "Alchemical Introspection"!

First of all, thank you for the warm response to The Thorny Juniper: we're really glad to read your messages and know that our designs and artworks are being well received!

In celebration of Samhain, which, as most of you probably know, happens on October 31st and coincides with Halloween, we would like to introduce today our new design: "Alchemical Introspection"!
This design was specifically created in honor of the self-reflective, introspective and inner-focused qualities of Samhain, as well as those of the Winter season which is approaching at this time of the year, and of course it is also deeply linked to the symbolism expressed by Saturn.
The alchemical motto V.I.T.R.I.O.L., which stands for: "Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem" ("Visit the Innermost of the Earth and by Rectifying you will find the Hidden Stone"), clealry invites us and reminds us that to obtain the Philosophers' Stone, the much sought-after alchemical substance which was said to transform metals into gold, that is, symbolically, the ability to elevate the Self to a refined awareness, we first and foremost need to embark on an inner journey to explore our own depths, working on our self-knowledge and become acquainted even with the most hidden and obscure sides of our personality. And the beginning of the Winter season is the perfect time to do this, the weather makes us instinctively inclined to get more reclusive and turn the focus inside.
In our design, the skull, a typical symbol associated to Saturn, represents our mind and inner self, out of which a hand reaches towards the precious "Hidden Stone", now having completed the journey through the depths of the psyche.
It's the same chthonic journey, the katabasis, that we find recurring in many initiatory myths, epics, and works of art: Dante ventures on a similar journey through Hell, Purgatory and then emerges in Heaven in the "Divina Commedia", Aeneid travels through the Underworld in the sixth book of Virgil's "Aeneid", in Homer's "Odyssey", Odysseus visits Hades, the Land of the dead, and so on: countless other traditions and mythologies have similar accounts of the Archetypal Hero who descends in the darkest realms to emerge anew, like reborn with enhanced consciousness, having gained a deeper understanding of himself and of existence.
For this year's Samhain, we chose to dedicate our new design "Alchemical Introspection" to this timeless myth, to honor this undeniable concept and remind all of us that only if we are able to face even the darkest and deepest sides of ourselves, through a profound self-reflection and honest effort, we can gain those essential insights that can help us moving forward in our personal growth - and this is indeed the wish from us to all of you, may this Samhain be a time of courage to undertake an initiation into your own depths and bring you the strength to find your personal Hidden Stone.

Below, you can see a selection of products which features our new design "Alchemical Introspection", these and many more are available our online store. You can also find a brief bibliography in case you want to read more about this subject.

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- "Azoth of the Philosophers", Basil Valentine, 1659
(See also: Basil Valentine "Azoth" Series on alchemywebsite.com)
- "The Dwellings of the Philosophers", Fulcanelli, 1930
- "Viridarium Chymicum", Stolcius von Stolcenberg, 1624
- "Alchemy & Mysticism",Alexander Roob, Taschen, 1997