Art and Alchemy Lab

Turning Lead Into Gold
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • Updated Semimonthly

Art and Alchemy Lab explores transformation through creativity. Host Allison Adams talks with Modern Alchemists - artists, healers, and visionaries who have learned to turn lead into creative gold." artandalchemylab.substack.com

  1. May 22

    Ep. 48 Kirstin Wilson: Self-Awareness through Human Design

    Welcome back the the laboratory! My guest this episode is Kirstin Wilson, calling in all the way from Australia. Kirstin is a business empowerment coach who works with women entrepreneurs through intuitive guidance and personal growth strategies, helping them align with who they actually are rather than who they think they should be. In this conversation she shares how tools like Human Design and the Gene Keys can deepen self-awareness, and we explore the role of archetypes and storytelling in personal evolution — and what it really means to shed an old identity. We also talk about something close to my heart — the way art, symbols, and sacred geometry can serve as mirrors for the self. This is a rich and practical conversation about trusting your own inner wisdom and finding the courage to lead from there. Here is the video version if that’s your preference: To connect with Kirstin and discover more of her generous gifts of consultation and self-empowerment through human design, start here! Join Allison’s new Art and Alchemy Page on Instagram. I’m trying to build more of a following there bc my kickstarter for the deck is coming up soon! I would love to have you on board as that unfolds and blossoms into material form (although I know you are on already on board here…and I appreciate that!). As of this week, I’ve got nearly everything scanned and cleaned up, and once I’ve finished the image the back of the cards, it will be ready to format for first prototype printing! Watch this space to be on deck for that (see what I did there?) :) I also made a page for my voice over/DeeDee presence, if you want to join me there for that newly-adventurous part of my life, it’s right here! I get to use my SAG/AFTRA name there…now a true alter-ego. Here are some other ways to get involved: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    47 min

  2. May 8

    Ep. 47 Eva Yaa Asantewaa: How to Dwell in Possibility

    The Architecture of Poetry This episode is a really fun one for me. I only knew my guest Eva Yaa Asantewaa from a handful of interactions on Substack. I always enjoyed the things she wrote or restacked, and I noticed her generous enthusiasm for amplifying other voices. Since Eva does so many things — writer, editor, dance critic, novelist, Tarot guide, animist spirit worker — I wasn’t sure how to approach the theme of this conversation. Then I noticed a very familiar line at the end of her bio — one that coincided with a gift I made my best friend, whose birthday happens to be shared with the poet of that line, Emily Dickinson. I DWELL IN POSSIBILITY artwork. So instead of analizing alchemical idioms, in this conversation, we spent our time like two friends visiting rooms in a museum, wading in the words of this poem and in the visual branches of a treehouse painted by Francesco Clemente, and opening up to the realm of possibility. MY TREEHOUSE by Francisco Clemente Eva recommended The NY TIMES 10-Minute Challenge if you’d like to increase your visual insightfulness like we experienced in this episode. For you visual peeps, we also have video. Please subscribe on youtube if you are there! If you enjoy this audio podcast, please like, follow, subscribe, rate, or write a quick review on whatever platform you listen. (Substack, Apple, Spotify, etc. It just takes a second and helps me out a lot. Emily Dickinson (by Me) Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    52 min

  3. Apr 24

    Ep. 46 Artist Scott Erikson on Visual Vocabulary

    This episode’s guest is “Curator or Awesomeness,” Scott Erikson (aka Scott the Painter on his popular instagram account.) Scott is an artist, author, and performance speaker, who is passionate about creating a visual vocabulary for spiritual contemplation. He’s the writer and performer of two one-man shows, the author of 5 books, and the illustrator of countless “visual prayers.” We talk about the alchemical symbol of the peacock, the process of transmuting painful seasons into glimmering insights, and how that transformation lights the path forward for each of us. Check out more of Scott’s work and life on his website. If you would like to watch this interview on Youtube, you can do that here: https://youtu.be/mPFWE_gtlX8 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min

  4. Apr 10

    Ep. 45 British Painter Claudia Bonney on Seeing the Unseen

    Today’s guest is Claudia Bonnie — a painter based in southwest England, whose artwork conjures mythical heroines, saints, goddesses, and epic animal icons. Her paintings live in that delicious space between mysticism and myth, where superstition is sacred, relics can heal, and a painting can work like medicine. With a background in education and therapy, Claudia is endlessly drawn to what’s happening just under the surface — the real, raw stuff of human experience. When she’s not in the studio, she’s also the official hedgehog rescuer in her area, which honestly feels very on brand for someone whose entire life seems like a waking fairytale. In today’s conversation, we get into the fascinating differences between American and British mythology, and ask the very important question: is spotting Bigfoot in the woods really any different from a fairy sighting in the English countryside? You can follow her wild and wonderful world on Instagram at Claudia.Bonnie. If you are in the area, you can see her paintings in person at the Kittoe Contemporary Gallery in London. In this episode, we touch on the alchemical theme of SUBLIMATION (more on that here), and we discuss some of these images as well. Our Days Were a Joy and Our Paths Through Flowers (1971-72) by David Inshaw King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archeypes of the Mature Masculine by Douglas Gillette and Robert Johnson Sasquatch Chronicles Podcast Claudia’s Instagram Allison’s website. Hope you enjoyed! Come back soon! Allison Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 2m

  5. Apr 2

    Ep. 44 Cyril Coetzee on the Birds of Alchemy

    Today’s esteemed guest is Cyril Coetzee, an internationally esteemed lecturer in Art History & Esoteric Science and a renowned portrait artist whose work spans continents and collections. He’s also regarded as the favorite portrait artist of Nelson Mandela (which we talk about a bit in this episode as well.) I discovered Cyril and his ability to teach about mystical creativity through a series of courses through the Center for Applied Jungian Studies about five to six years ago. It was his insights into alchemical symbolism of birds first sparked my curious and led me down the rabbit hole that became my oracle deck project as well as this podcast. In this visually-oriented episode, we’ll unpack how Cyril uses symbols to convey deeper states of consciousness, and how visionary art can illuminate our understanding of creativity and self-realization. If you’re strictly listening to this episode, check the show notes for links to the artworks we discuss, or watch the video version on Youtube or Substack to see Cyril’s references up close. Also if you enjoy this episode, please follow the links to his website and like, follow, subscribe, etc to my page here. Thank you for listening and for all your support. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Cyril’s chosen art-piece is the Kabbalistic “Teaching” Panel of Princess Antonia of Bavaria. If you love art history and are curious about esotericism, he is brilliant at expressing the combination. I knew very little about this painting before, although I did recognize the lady with the lamb. I didn’t yet know that she was one of a group of educated women who studied and passed on the language of these spiritual mysteries in artful secrecy—they protected the esoteric traditions while the men were off being killed in the wars. If you want to read more about Princess Antonia ( “the Green Lady at the beginning of her spiritual journey,”) and her altarpiece, this page is a great resource. (Cyril’s portrait of Nelson Mandela also became a South African postage stamp, commemorating the great man’s 90th birthday.) I hope you enjoyed learning from Cyril Coetzee as much as I have. There is so much depth in these layers of symbol. I’m so grateful for his nudge toward alchemical study that I felt those years ago when I first heard him describe the five birds, and it was a great honor to interview him here and pass on a bit of his knowledge with others. Cyril’s website Allison’s website If you want to learn more about the birds of alchemy from other wonderful guests of this podcast, I have so far uploaded episodes on the Phoenix of the Rubedo and the Swan of the Albedo. Next, I’ll be sharing a spirited interview with illustrator Scott Erikson (Scott the Painter) on the alchemical Peacock. It’s all so inspiring! Fly high, soar free, and go ruffle some feathers, Allison Adams Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min

  6. Mar 19

    Ep. 43 Matthew Ashdown on Arthurian Legend

    My guest, Matthew Ashdown, is joining me from Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, though he spent much of his early life growing up in Great Britain — a landscape rich with the tradition of Arthurian legend and Tolkien’s magical worlds — and as you’ll hear, those stories have left a lasting impression on the way he thinks and works. I know Matthew through our shared work in the Gene Keys and the Dream Arc systems, and while we’ve had a number of conversations over the years, this is actually the first time the two of us have sat down together to record one. Today we’re exploring myth, storytelling, and spiritual symbolism — touching on themes like the Phoenix, the alchemical rubedo stage, the Grail myths, and The Lord of the Rings— and what these stories reveal about our personal and collective transformation, both personal and collective. You can read the description of the Rubedo/Reddening from Allison’s Alchemical Oracle (which we discuss in this episode) here. If you want to watch on YouTube, here’s video (edited by me… I think podcasts have better sound bc my brilliant musician son Maki, who masters the levels. (Subscribe there too if that’s your jam!) Matthew’s Instagram Allison’s Art Website I encourage you to support the endangered art of connective storytelling (and meaningful mythos) as often as you are able! Keep the fire of HUMANITY going. Support the Arts or tell your OWN story. Most of us don’t have the luxury of passive observation anymore. Start where you are. Thank you for your service! Happy new moon. Dream bigger! Love, Allison This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min

  7. Mar 6

    Ep. 42 Erika Schickel: Writing Into the Dark

    Today’s guest has spent her life turning pain into prose — and teaching others to do the same. I am really proud of this episode…I loved chatting with Erika, and I feel honored and inspired to keep championing survivor’s voices. Erika’s voice is especially rich, out loud and on the page. Erika Schickel is a memoirist, teacher, and storyteller whose second book, The Big Hurt, published in 2021 is a fearless memoir tracing two passionate, predatory, life-altering love affairs set twenty-five years apart. Erika grew up as the daughter of writers in fashionable New York of the 1970s, part of what she describes as a culture “that offers young women to men in power as sort of prizes for their accomplishments and ignores the humanity of the girls being offered.” In today’s conversation, we dig into generational wounds, the revolutionary power of using your voice in writing, and what it means to hold your family’s story in your hands — and then lose it, as Erika feels she did when the Eaton Fire destroyed her home in January 2025. Be sure to check out Erika’s fantastic Substack page, "Girl of the Burning West,” where she’s processing her next book by the same name. Her writing voice is just as cool and intelligent as her speaking voice. Be sure to check out her writing memoir workshops too. She gives a lot of her teaching secrets on this episode. So writers and readers and SA survivors, this one’s for you! If you want to watch, rather than just listen, here’s the video interview: Please remember to like, subscribe, and share. Or leave a review where you get your podcasts. I appreciate it greatly. This should be available every place you get your podcasts. This is a conversation about loss, accountability, legacy, and the irreplaceable value of telling your own story — in your own voice. And bearing witness to the women brave enough to tell theirs when they are ready. Portrait of Therese Bernard by Renoir Erika’s Website Allison’s Website This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m

  8. Feb 22

    Ep. 41 Katja Schwann on Growing Up in East Germany

    My guest is Katja Swan, a personal embodiment coach in Germany. Katja and I met a few years ago through a Gene Keys course, and when I first heard her origin story, I was fascinated and curious to find out more. We are about the same age, both teenagers during the Cold War, but I’d never met anyone who had grown up in East Germany. Katja and her family fled the GDR when she was just 17, four months before the Berlin Wall came down, rebuilding her life as an young adult in a drastically different world. Through the unusual and unexpected circumstances in her life, Katja has become an example of resilience and adaptability that we can all use about now. The alchemical theme of this episode is PRESERVATION which asks the question: What do you want bring forward with you from your previous reality into the unknown future! For Katja, the answer is LOVE. Prefer to watch our rough-edit interview on YouTube? Check out the episode here. Now, just a gentle reminder to like, subscribe, and share this channel and episode. These things really do help get these stories out to more listeners who will benefit from them. Katja chose a piece called PRESENCE by French visionary painter, Quentin Pouyat. You can find more about Katja’s gentle embodiment coaching and Gene Keys guidance on her website. Films recommended in this episode: The Lives of Others, Goodbye Lenin, and Sonnenallee. To connect with Allison, please visit my online gallery and website. Allison’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe

    46 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Art and Alchemy Lab explores transformation through creativity. Host Allison Adams talks with Modern Alchemists - artists, healers, and visionaries who have learned to turn lead into creative gold." artandalchemylab.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Turning Lead Into Gold
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Allison Adams
  • Show Website
    Art and Alchemy Lab