Alcoholic Alchemy
Most believe the word “alcohol” originated in the Middle East since the prefix al is a definite article in Arabic, but there is some debate about which word it stems from, either al-koh’l or al-ghawl. The first time I read this, I was immediately drawn to the "Al-khul" origin, which means "BODY-EATING SPIRIT" (also, is the origin of the term "ghoul"). At the time, I had gone about six months without drinking due to me reaching an emotional rock bottom.
The last 7+ years had been a frenzy of ongoing changes and inconsistency – all because I had no idea of what I wanted and I hadn’t been honest with myself. After my whirlwind college years in Gainesville, FL, I tried Orlando, FL, and the nonprofit sector right out of graduate school, then the private sector, then the confused sector. I had been striving for goals that meant nothing to me. Trying to please others, and allowing myself to be overworked and undervalued. They say your vibe attracts your tribe, well it also attracts everything else in your life.
Life came at me hard and I was stubborn. I figured drinking would address my life’s issues for me. I mean, the media had been conditioning me to think that having a glass of wine after work – that turned into a bottle – would take the edge off, making my existential angst a bit more bearable until that TGIF (and don’t get me started on the college drinking habits). Instead of addressing things and facing obstacles head-on, I kept trucking, hoping something would change. How ridiculous is that?! I was not going to get far in life with that perspective.
St. Patrick’s Day 2018 was the last time I drank to forget. I’m not sure what did it, but I was done with hurting and undervaluing myself and others. I was given this life to enjoy it, not to hate it. It wasn’t as abrupt as I might be making it seem. I had already been doing some work (spiritual, mental, physical, etc.), and had began my healing journey a year or so before that. Part of this [ongoing] work is reading… a lot! I am very much into the metaphysical, and came across this:
“In alchemy, alcohol is used to extract the soul essence of an entity. Hence its use in extracting essences for essential oils, and the sterilization of medical instruments. By consuming alcohol into the body, it in effect extracts the very essence of the soul, allowing the body to be more susceptible to neighboring entities most of which are of low frequencies. (why do you think we call certain alcoholic beverages "SPIRITS"). That is why people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol often black out, not remembering what happened. This happens when the good soul (we were sent here with) leaves because the living conditions are too polluted and too traumatic to tolerate. The good soul jettisons the body, staying connected on a tether, and a dark entity takes the body for a joy ride around the block, often in a hedonistic and self serving illogical rampage. Our bodies are cars for spirits. If one leaves, another can take the car for a ride.”
Now, I’m a very logical person, so I completely understand if the tethering soul ideology seems far-fetched! But, I will say from experience, drinking in excess does make you feel like you’re poisoning and mistreating your body in more than one way. Drinking too much can harm your health, we know this. Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years.2,3 Excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20-64 years. It is also detrimental to our mental and emotional health.
Don’t get me wrong, every once in a while, I fully enjoy a sweet brandy old-fashioned with the fruit smashed at the bottom! But I had some work to do before I would be able to enjoy just one after dinner. You also have to be honest with yourself. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to attain my current/healthier relationship with alcohol without cutting it out of my life completely first. Get to know myself without it. So I was sober for almost a year before I started filtering it back in again. And the same is true for many things in life. Go at your own pace, and don’t lie to yourself.
For the first time in my adult life, I don’t consider myself a drinker. My relationship with alcohol is much different now, it went from being a clutch, to being a treat -- and like everything else in life, moderation is key.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Atlanta, GA: CDC.
Stahre M, Roeber J, Kanny D, Brewer RD, Zhang X. Contribution of excessive alcohol consumption to deaths and years of potential life lost in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis 2014;11:130293.
