The Alchemist understands life by relating it to his own personal experience. Without a doubt, it looks like he has taken on a big chunk of adversity and karma in different relationships and situations. He could deny or deflect, he could say, “why are you doing this to me”, “why do I have to suffer again”, “why all these limitations”, but he doesn’t. Instead, he owns each and every adversity fully.

He knows that we humans carry karma that belongs to the collective and is both individual and collective in nature. It’s imprinted in our DNA as ancestral memory that is passed through the lineages. This means that oppression is part of the current coding of our bodies.

The Alchemist can trust that his dharma will bring him experiences to resolve his personal and collective karma. He shows us how to, not only own, but also transmute our karma. Instead of projecting karma outwards as drama, he will bring the experience of suffering completely inwards. His powerful sense of introception, pure presence and awareness neutralizes the karma inside the cauldron of his belly.

The Alchemist literally burns off karma through his breathing and fearless presence. It is a continuous process of initiations where karma is gradually transmuted into light as the memory of the DNA is purged and oppressed light is released. Just as his partner Grace (22), the Alchemist seems comfortable even with what may seem terrifying to other people. They both know that the only way to transcend suffering, is to move more deeply into it, embracing every shadow. The true purpose of the Alchemist is revealed through this ongoing process.

Through his process, he conceptualizes his past experience that didn’t make sense in the moment. It’s not a logical process—it's much like piecing images together and seeing the pattern once he has bravely moved through it. He knows that the answers will come to him, so he stays open. His ability to see and understand the abstract is enhanced by his close relationship to the Artist (64) who has a similar approach to life and courage to surrender.

It is the Artist (64) who brings the assortment of images from the past and the Alchemist who pieces them together to find and realize the pattern and meaning. In a way, the Artist brings the memories in photographs and the Alchemist assembles the collage. Their artistic expression is painfully authentic and shows the inherent human ability of transmuting pain into gold.

By surrendering over and over again, the Alchemist continuously shifts himself and his reality, purifying what doesn’t allow him to live his true essence. This is also why it’s hard to define him. He does not have a fixed identity. He is forever changing and evolving. By surrendering, he can make a quantum leap at any moment. Alchemy is life.