Damien Echols

As within, so without. The world you see is a mirror - clean the glass from the inside. If you want to join us at our third annual Alchemical retreat this October: eventcreate.com/e/goldofthephi…

A piece of my childhood is gone today. It’s hard to imagine a world without this man in it.

Many people never rise because deep down, they don’t believe they deserve to. There’s a silent program running in the background—built from guilt, shame, or conditioning—that says anything good must be wrong. That money is evil. That joy is selfish. That love is conditional. And…

Alchemy and martial arts, while emerging from distinct historical and cultural contexts, share profound commonalities as vehicles for self-transformation, discipline, and enlightenment. Both are not merely technical practices but holistic systems aimed at the evolution of the…

You are what you consume—not just in food, but in energy, conversation, media, and especially people. The five people you spend the most time with shape your thoughts, your emotions, even your worldview. Surround yourself with those who see beauty, speak with purpose, and live…

Sword training teaches you to move through the world with intention. Every cut must be deliberate. Every stance must be rooted. There’s no faking it—the blade reflects your presence, or lack of it. In daily life, we’re often scattered, pulled in ten directions by distraction,…

Presence is the philosopher’s stone. It transmutes everything it touches. It turns pain into clarity. Time into eternity. The ordinary into the sacred.

The Great Work ends where it began: in the body. In the breath. In the still, unshakable now. And the mystery is: it was always this simple. And always this hard.

The spiritual path doesn’t end in worship—it ends in embodiment. You stop reaching for the divine because you finally realize: you are what you were seeking. Read the full essay here, for free: patreon.com/posts/13433072…

Our 3rd Hudson Valley retreat is coming. I’ll be teaching a Tang Soo Do form as moving meditation—and we’re celebrating the release of Magia Divina, Tommy’s new book rooted in the 14th-century Abramelin rite. Self-purification. Real alchemy. eventcreate.com/e/goldofthephi…

Most people don’t live—they drift. Chil Sung isn’t just martial philosophy. It’s how you stop floating through life. Discipline. Integrity. Courage. Presence. You don’t need control over the world—just over yourself. Live by a code. Die with no regret. Walk under the Seven Stars.

The shadow fed by light: How magick can inflate the ego. Read the full article here: patreon.com/posts/13409110… Become a member for free and receive more writings and videos.

The dissolution of self… Magick calls it “Crossing the Abyss.” Zen calls it “Mū.” One devours the self like fire. The other dissolves it like breath. But both lead to the same place: Beyond identity. Revelation. What waits beyond the emptiness isn’t death. It’s truth.

If thou but settest foot on this path, thou shalt see it everywhere." - Hermes Trismegistus - "If you know the way broadly, you will see it in all things." - Miyamoto Musashi -

Why real alchemy doesn’t happen on Instagram…. You can watch my latest video here: youtube.com/live/8kktRVXu6…

The path isn’t separate from your life—it is your life. Start walking it with presence, and you’ll realize it was beneath your feet the whole time.

Most people want the results of alchemy. Very few want the process. But the fire you step into is the same fire that purifies. You don’t become the gold without burning off what isn’t.

Two people can stand in the same place and see two different worlds—because the world you perceive is a reflection of your inner state. In alchemy, we say “the laboratory doesn’t lie”—your reality is your lab report.