Avery Hopkins, Alchemist and founder of Kymia Arts is truly a man of mystery. As Frank Gorshin would say, he is a man of few words but many riddles. He is a man of depth with a love of plant medicine, mystical 13th century poetry, and Greek mythology. He creates metallic, plant, and animal essence oils using a technique found in ancient Indian Ayurveda. The products within his apothecary are meant for healing on a conscious level to reunite the mind/body in harmonious spirit. Having had the privilege to sample some of his oils such as the oil of gold, we can confidently say these are products that can be life-changing in taking you to the next level of consciousness. These truly are next-level products and we are excited to have an opportunity to interview the maker himself:
1. What is Kymia Arts?
Kymia Arts is an online branding and a platform that I created to showcase my work in the alchemical realm. It also serves as a minor storehouse of alchemical wisdom. Since much of the content I work with and speak about is essentially unheard of by the public - and if researched rather hard to dig up – I sought to create a space where many of the harder questions pertaining to alchemy could be deposited and answered.
2. What is alchemy?
If you asked a thousand recognized experts, you would get a thousand different answers. I may not be a recognized expert, but I know my answer is the right one. Alchemy is: the understanding of the relationship between consciousness and matter.
3. What inspired you to start Kymia Arts?
Many years ago, I had the privilege of seeing and then understanding the thread that stitches together ALL of reality - the visible and invisible, the known and the unknown, the inside and the outside. I discovered that thread in alchemy. Unfortunately, when you set out to research alchemy, you come to find that the space in which alchemy is held can be a rather muddy and foggy place; many veils to say the least.
It took me years to make sense of what it was that alchemy is and then years beyond that to duplicate for myself the practical side of the art, which is often seen and recognized through the laboratory works. After achieving success in my alchemical work, and my life at large due to this work, I began to feel the need to share what I knew so that others wouldn’t have to struggle for years in hopes of understanding this thing we call alchemy, or this thing we call reality.
It is also worth noting that I hated working and participating in a system that was fueled by unconsciousness. On top of wanting to share my findings and understandings with the world, I wanted to liberate myself from a required or expected worldly lifestyle. Creating Kymia Arts was like building a ship. I launched that ship and set sail from the old. That vessel keeps me afloat today, and I am thankful for it.
4. How is the alchemy in your products used differently than others?
I’m mostly known for my work in the Metallic realm. I choose to focus on metallic oils because it proves the alchemical philosophies flawlessly, while simultaneously slapping around the idea of “impossible” like a stupid fly too slow to dodge a backhand.
The fact that Metallic essences are the foundation of Kymia Arts automatically sets my work apart from basically everyone on the entire planet. As far as I can tell, no one else has attempted to make this level of alchemical truth available to the public. In the past year I began pushing the alchemical philosophies to incorporate work in the animal realm as well. So now I get to also say that I specialize in extracting essences from animals. If that’s not different from others—then I wouldn’t know what is.
5. How have these potions changed your life?
It’s funny that you choose to use the word potion. For those who don’t know, the word potion comes from the Latin ‘potio’ which means “drink.” This is also where we get our word potable, as in safe drinking water. A potion is a drink considered to have medicinal or magical powers.
It’s safe to say that the oils and spagyric preparations I produce are imbued with a certain kind of magic. I call that thing, that magic, consciousness – because that’s what it is. The best way I can answer your question, as to how they have changed my life, is by saying that they helped me to not see what is not, and instead see what is. From that point on, it’s nothing but acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm.
6 What can you tell us about the benefits of your metallic oils?
The benefits of Metallic Oils are really all-encompassing. They work on the foundational archetypes of your consciousness, which coincidently (wink wink) are also the foundational archetypes for the construction of reality. Alchemical essences at large assist you in awakening to a full perception of self. When the self is known, all is known. Then all can be transmuted to exist in an immortal state.
Anything that exists in an immortal state is self-sustaining – never lacking, never needing – forever healthy, happy, and whole. The essences I produce are catalysts to that residence of awakening. When the consciousness is awoken and known as self, the mind is liberated. With the mind liberated and illusion dispelled the body is filled with the immortal consciousness. Alchemical essences are truly conscious medicines in the most literal sense.
7. What is your spirit animal?
That’s actually a rather hard question to answer for me. I observe myself in all things, and all things know their essence as me. One of the more interesting aspects of producing alchemical medicines is that you are literally working with the consciousness of any given material when you extract its essence. The essence is expressed physically as the essential oil of the matter in question. If you were to ingest that essence, you would literally be ingesting the consciousness of another life form, whether it be rock, plant, or animal. Part of my personal journey in knowing myself and incorporating all of the myriad reflections which make up me on the whole.
In regards to animals, if you ingest their essence, you can know what it’s like to experience this reality – consciousness - as that animal. The pattern of that animal, its soul and spirit, come to reside within you as you. I’m not sure what my spirit animal is, but I’m quite aware of the Owl, Tarantula, Mountain Lion, Bear, Coyote, Dolphin – the list goes on – that live inside of me. That topic alone is a profound topic of depth.
8. Your favorite place on earth?
The only one I can ever know – Here.
9. Who inspires you?
Narcissus and Echo. And the stars. Saying that reminds me of a Ladinsky poem, which he attributes to Hafiz:
“Even after all this time
The sun never says to the Earth, “you owe me.”
Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the
Whole Sky.”
Stars are pretty inspiring.
10. What’s next for Kymia Arts?
For now Kymia Arts is still creeping into the consciousness of the masses. Since story is held in mind, for the moment this happening is limited to time. As I patiently wait for the inevitable progression of Kymia Arts, I tinker away in my lab and in nature, extracting essences from things that are rare and powerful.
The animal alchemy of Kymia Arts is a new addition that showed up in the fall of 2015. Many new animal essences will emerge as time passes. I started in the deserts, forests, and canyons of Arizona, exploring the local flora, fauna, and history of that divine place. Much of the metals, minerals, plants, and animals that I have worked with so far have also come from that place.
Now I am extending into the North, the Olympic range, and the oceans of the Pacific. I am excited to dive (pun intended) into oceanic works – Corals, marine mammals, fish and shellfish, cephalopods such as octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. I imagine I will find more alien life in the abyss of those waters than any paranormal stargazer.
To learn more about Kymia Arts and products, visit Avery's website, Kymia Arts. You can also follow Kymia Arts on Instagram and Facebook.