Pulled from ancient alchemy, spagyric extraction focuses on the mind, soul, and body of the cannabis plant.
Many posit that philosophy and alchemy matured enough to become science one day and then stopped being relevant. However, as Spagyric alchemical practices grow in popularity for their alleged efficacy, these old traditions might prove again they have something to teach the moderns.
WHAT IS SPAGYRIC ALCHEMY?
Spagyric’s roots etymologically are spa- from the Greek σπάω(spao), meaning to pull or separate, and -gyr- from the word ἀγείρω(ageiro), meaning to assemble. Thus, spagyric is the process of pulling apart and reassembling. Spagyrics now refer to herbal medicine produced using alchemical practices, although it used to describe alchemical practice broadly.
For cannabis tinctures, this means taking the biomass after it has been soaking in alcohol, burning it into white or gray ash, separating the soluble compounds, crystalizing them, then reintroducing them into the tincture. These crystals are compatible with any cannabis extract.
Spagyric tinctures differ from traditional tinctures because they don’t focus on the cannabinoids or the compounds within cannabis, but the mind, soul, and body of the plant. In alchemy, these describe the nature of all plants.
- The soul is the scent of the plant or the essential oils.
- The mind is the traditional tincture of the plant or the alcohol extract of it.
- The body is the crystallized soluble molecules contained in the ash of the plant or the salt.
Spagyric alchemical practices on cannabis tinctures, including hemp tinctures, begin with producing one as usual. Pour 96% proof alcohol or higher over decarboxylated cannabis, let it soak for weeks, agitating the mixture once a day. After your preferred wait, whether a month or months, you will have the mind of the cannabis, in other words, a tincture and the mark or spent plant matter.
Afterward, separate the biomass and the tincture. The tincture is also known as the menstruum. Then burn the mark at a high temperature until turned into white or gray ash. The ash contains the exact ratio of chemicals that make up the plant.
Combine the cannabis ash with water to make an alkaline solution. Harvest the soluble compounds from the solution to get the body of the plant in crystallized form. A spagyric mixture is made by including essential oils, the tincture, and the crystals.
WHAT DOES SPAGYRICS DO?
Proponents of the use of spagyric alchemy in cannabis products claim this technique of extracting substances from biomass increases bioavailability through including the full spectrum of available minerals. The argument follows from the entourage effect, which argues that the mixture of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes present in cannabis strains provides unique benefits that the separated compounds do not. By adding in all of the natural components of cannabis back into a cannabis extraction, the producer offers the blueprint for the plant to be absorbed.
Spagyric alchemists also prefer working with low heat for decarboxylation, which they believe better preserves the cannabis compounds within the plant. In theory, these thoughtful touches increase bioavailability.
Alchemists work with nature’s design. Paracelsus, who wrote about Spagryics in 1500s Switzerland, saw it as humans’ responsibility to take plants, convert them into their elements, and recombine them into perfect medicine. Plants are a gift, a blessing, but spagyrics is the cultivation of that blessing into its full potential.
WHAT DOES SCIENCE THINK OF SPAGYRICS?
The practice of spagyric alchemy, like much of alternative medicine, is in a dark spot for the scientific community. While there’s a lack of studies comparing CBD extracts to spagyric mixtures, considering the research behind the entourage effect and considering personal experience, spagyrics is a legitimate practice to trust.
It’s not yet quantifiable what this form of alchemy does for the potency of cannabis compounds, but many swear by the method.
IS SPAGYRICS SCALEABLE?
Creativity drives the spirit of alchemy, like how creativity drives philosophy. Spagyrics equipment costs start at under $50. For a small scale operation, in addition to standard tincture making equipment, all that’s required is:
- A method to burn the mark
- A container filled with distilled water
- A way of harvesting the body of the plant from an alkaline mixture
Large scale cultivators can get creative with their equipment, and include spagyrics in however extended an operation they would like. The process is also automatable for those looking to spend the time to develop such technology.
HOW IS THE SPAGYRIC CANNABIS MARKET?
Currently, there is a considerable opportunity for those interested in producing spagyric cannabis tinctures. While spagyric CBD tinctures are already common online, there are few products with certificates of analysis sold in licensed cannabis provisioning centers made with spagyric methods.
As alternative spirituality continues to rise, and the number of witches grows throughout the world, these products will only become more in demand. Spagyric methods of extraction are affordable and allow access to a market that fiercely demands such a product.
