Definition of alchemy \ ˈal-kə-mē \
1 : a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life
2 : a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way
3 : an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting [Merriam-Webster]
To meditate is to dive deeply into yourself—it's not all unicorns and fairy dust in there! Each of us consists of light and dark, expertise and ineptness, good and not so good acts; we're all saints and complete boneheads now and again! I do not exclude myself from that observation.
Accept yourself! We stress this principle at CloudMeditation. Successful spiritual alchemy requires that you do not fight yourself—accept the full range of energies innate in you, regardless of polarity. You cannot have just one polarity—the positive one. You cannot have light without dark. Suppress a negative, it will flare up larger, more intense. Kill the negative polarity—you kill the positive one as well.
To meditate is to practice spiritual alchemy; to transform very unlike elements; base metal to something priceless.
Anger can transform into compassion, forgiveness, or love.
Mis-focused sexual energy can transform into fortitude, resoluteness, focused action, and, as well, love.
Study heroism and find that fear can transform into valor and extraordinary action.
Accept and feel grateful for innate energies as resources.
[A Vedic teacher says] “Acceptance is the gateway to losing the poison, the ugliness, the destructiveness of negative energies we all contend with.”