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The Principle of Correspondence: Bridging Heaven and Earth Through Internal Practice
In this third article of our series on the Seven Hermetic Principles and their relationship to the alchemical path and the internal martial arts, we turn our attention to the second principle: the Principle of Correspondence . It is most famously summarized in the Hermetic axiom: “As above, so below; as within, so without.” This single line conveys one of the most profound truths of internal cultivation: reality is not fragmented into isolated layers. Instead, it is a continu
Josh Goheen
15 hours ago4 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata)
🌿 Andrographis Botanical Name: Andrographis paniculata Family: Acanthaceae Common Names: Andrographis, Kalmegh, King of Bitters, Bhunimba Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves and stems) Energetics: Very bitter, cold, drying Tissue States: Heat, toxicity, inflammation, infection, damp-heat Primary Actions: Antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, febrifuge Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) 🌱 Botanical Description of Andrograph
Josh Goheen
3 days ago18 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Neem (Azadirachta indica)
🌿 Neem Botanical Name: Azadirachta indica Family: Meliaceae Common Names: Neem, Nimba, Indian Lilac, Margosa Tree Parts Used: Leaves, bark, seeds, oil, flowers (varies by application) Energetics (Ayurveda): Bitter, cooling, drying Doshas: Reduces Pitta and Kapha; may aggravate Vata if overused Tissue States: Heat, toxicity, infection, inflammation, dampness Primary Actions: Antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, alterative, blood purifier, anti-inflamm
Josh Goheen
5 days ago19 min read
The Principle of Mentalism: Mind as the Foundation of Alchemical Practice
In this second article of our series exploring the Seven Hermetic Principles, we begin with the first—and most fundamental—of them all: The Principle of Mentalism . This principle is placed first for a reason. It establishes the very ground upon which all other principles rest and defines our understanding of reality itself. Without grasping Mentalism, the deeper logic of alchemy, internal martial arts, and internal cultivation remains fragmented or mysterious. At its essence
Josh Goheen
Jan 305 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata)
🌿 Pipsissewa Botanical Name: Chimaphila umbellata Family: Ericaceae Common Names: Pipsissewa, Prince’s Pine, Ground Holly, Rheumatism Weed Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves and stems) Energetics: Cooling, drying, slightly bitter and astringent Tissue States: Dampness, stagnation, heat in the urinary tract, lymphatic congestion Primary Actions: Urinary antiseptic, diuretic, lymphatic, alterative, astringent, anti-inflammatory Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) 🌱 Botani
Josh Goheen
Jan 2817 min read
🌾 Plant Profile - Oat (Avena sativa)
🌾 Oat Botanical Name: Avena sativa Family: Poaceae (Grass family) Common Names: Oat, Common Oat Parts Used: Milky oat tops (fresh), straw (dried stems and leaves), grain (food) Energetics: Neutral to slightly cooling, moistening, grounding Tissue States: Nervous exhaustion, deficiency, dryness, convalescence Primary Actions: Nervine tonic, trophorestorative, adaptogenic (mild), nutritive, antidepressant (traditional), restorative Oat (Avena sativa) 🌱 Botanical Descr
Josh Goheen
Jan 2618 min read
Against the Quick Path: Why Internal Cultivation Requires Time, Effort, and Depth
Practitioners of meditation, qigong, and Taijiquan face a challenge that is uniquely modern. We live in a culture increasingly shaped by speed, convenience, and immediacy. Information is compressed into fragments. Attention is fragmented into seconds. The slow processes of reading, contemplation, and deep analysis have been steadily displaced by short-form videos, oversimplified explanations, and the pervasive attitude summarized by the now-common phrase “tl;dr.” The integrit
Josh Goheen
Jan 234 min read
🍒 Plant Profile - Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
🍒 Cranberry Botanical Name: Vaccinium macrocarpon (American cranberry) Family: Ericaceae Common Names: Cranberry, American Cranberry Parts Used: Fruit (fresh, dried, juice, extract) Energetics: Cooling, sour, drying Tissue States: Damp-heat in the urinary tract, microbial adhesion, mucosal vulnerability Primary Actions: Urinary anti-adhesive, antimicrobial (indirect), astringent, antioxidant, cooling alterative Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) 🌱 Botanical Descript
Josh Goheen
Jan 2116 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
🌿 Alfalfa Botanical Name: Medicago sativa Family: Fabaceae (Legume family) Common Names: Alfalfa, Lucerne Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves and stems), sprouts (young stage) Energetics: Cooling to neutral, moistening, alkalizing Tissue States: Deficiency, malnutrition, acidity, convalescence, mineral depletion Primary Actions: Nutritive tonic, alterative, mild diuretic, alkalizing, galactagogue, hypocholesterolemic Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) 🌱 Botanical Description of
Josh Goheen
Jan 1918 min read
Entering the Alchemical Worldview: A Foundation for Internal Cultivation
As students step onto the path of Taijiquan, Qigong, Neigong, meditation, yoga, or related internal arts, one of the greatest challenges they encounter is not physical—it is conceptual. These arts did not arise merely as systems of movement or exercise. They were born within complete worldviews: living cosmologies that describe how the universe functions, how human beings participate in that functioning, and how conscious cultivation can transform both health and spirit. In t
Josh Goheen
Jan 163 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
🌿 Wormwood Botanical Name: Artemisia absinthium Family: Asteraceae Common Names: Wormwood, Absinthe Wormwood, Green Ginger Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves and flowering tops) Energetics: Very bitter, warming, drying, penetrating Tissue States: Cold, dampness, stagnation, parasitic burden, microbial excess, digestive weakness Primary Actions: Bitter tonic, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, carminative, hepatic stimulant, emmenagogue, nervine (low dose), vermifuge ⚠️ Wormw
Josh Goheen
Jan 1421 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
🌿 Western Red Cedar Botanical Name: Thuja plicata Family: Cupressaceae Common Names: Western Red Cedar, Pacific Red Cedar, Giant Arborvitae, Canoe Cedar Parts Used: Leaves (scale tips), bark, wood, resin (primarily external or ceremonial) Energetics: Warming, drying, penetrating Tissue States: Cold, dampness, stagnation, microbial excess Primary Actions: Antimicrobial, expectorant, decongestant, rubefacient, astringent, ceremonial purifier ⚠️ Western Red Cedar is a p
Josh Goheen
Jan 1217 min read
Learning to Listen Inward: How to Assess Your Health Through Self-Awareness
One of the most overlooked skills in modern health culture is the ability to accurately sense oneself . Surrounded by constant stimulation, notifications, and external demands, many people have lost contact with their own internal state. They track steps, calories, and sleep cycles, yet remain strangely disconnected from how they actually feel . Consultations require self-analysis. True health assessment does not begin with tests, apps, or diagnoses. It begins with self-aware
Josh Goheen
Jan 93 min read
🍄 Plant Profile - Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)
🍄 Reishi Mushroom Botanical Name: Ganoderma lucidum (also G. lingzhi , G. tsugae in regional use) Family: Ganodermataceae Common Names: Reishi, Ling Zhi, Mushroom of Immortality, Spirit Mushroom Parts Used: Fruiting body (dried), mycelium (modern preparations) Energetics (TCM): Neutral to slightly warming, bitter, sweet Meridians: Heart, Lung, Liver Primary Actions: Adaptogen, immunomodulator, cardiotonic, hepatoprotective, nervine, anti-inflammatory, antitumor (ad
Josh Goheen
Jan 719 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium spp.)
🌿 Horny Goat Weed Botanical Name: Epimedium brevicornum , Epimedium sagittatum , Epimedium koreanum (medicinal species) Family: Berberidaceae Common Names: Horny Goat Weed, Yin Yang Huo Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves primarily) Energetics (TCM): Warm, sweet, acrid Meridians: Kidney, Liver Primary Actions: Yang tonic, aphrodisiac, adaptogenic, vasodilatory, osteotonic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium spp.) 🌱 Botanical Description of H
Josh Goheen
Jan 518 min read
The Importance of Willpower and Discipline
Now and then I like to share material from other teachers, authors, and thinkers that I find to be valuable for students and for people in general. This is one such piece of material. While approached from the practical perspective of a former Navy Seal, Jocko Willink, this book perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Alchemical path. That essence is Will. In Chinese this is known as Zhi, one of the Wu Shen (Five Spirits) which resides in the kidneys. It is the source of ou
Josh Goheen
Jan 22 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Amla (Phyllanthus emblica)
🌿 Amla Botanical Name: Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis ) Family: Phyllanthaceae Common Names: Amla, Amalaki, Indian Gooseberry Parts Used: Fruit (fresh or dried) Taste (Rasa): Sour (primary), sweet, bitter, pungent, astringent (all five except salty) Energetics: Cooling, rejuvenating Doshas: Pacifies Pitta strongly; balances Vata and Kapha when properly prepared Primary Actions: Rasāyana, antioxidant, adaptogenic, digestive tonic, hepatic, immunomo
Josh Goheen
Dec 31, 202519 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Mastic Tree (Pistacia lentiscus)
🌿 Mastic Tree Botanical Name: Pistacia lentiscus Family: Anacardiaceae Common Names: Mastic Tree, Lentisk, Masticha, Mastiha Parts Used: Resin (mastic gum), leaves, bark (less commonly) Energetics: Warming, drying, strengthening Tissue States: Dampness, weakness, inflammation, microbial imbalance, leaky or ulcerated tissues Primary Actions: Gastroprotective, antimicrobial, astringent, carminative, vulnerary, anti-inflammatory, tonic Mastic Tree (Pistacia lentiscus) �
Josh Goheen
Dec 29, 202518 min read
Beyond Relaxation: The Alchemical Depth of Qigong and Taijiquan
In the modern world, qigong and Taijiquan are most commonly understood as gentle movement practices—slow, graceful exercises performed in parks, community centers, and rehabilitation clinics. They are widely promoted for improving balance, reducing stress, and supporting relaxation, especially among elderly or injured populations. This image is not incorrect, but it is profoundly incomplete. The majority of contemporary instruction does indeed emphasize soft choreography, mi
Josh Goheen
Dec 26, 20253 min read
🌿 Plant Profile - Juniper (Juniperus communis)
🌿 Juniper Botanical Name: Juniperus communis (primary medicinal species) Family: Cupressaceae Common Names: Juniper, Common Juniper, Juniper Berry Parts Used: Berries (female cones), leaves/needles (primarily external or ritual use) Energetics: Warming, drying, penetrating Tissue States: Dampness, stagnation, cold, toxicity, microbial overload Primary Actions: Diuretic, urinary antiseptic, carminative, digestive stimulant, antimicrobial, diaphoretic, alterative, rub
Josh Goheen
Dec 24, 202518 min read
DISCLAIMER:
As with any diet or exercise program, always consult a qualified physician prior to beginning any new routine, especially if you have any health issues. The training and information provided on this site and in person is for educational consideration only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease, nor is it to take the place of any qualified medical treatment.
All original material presented represents the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of the author and is intended to be taken as such. All quoted or shared material is the property and responsibility of the original author/source.
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