Emerald School of Alchemical Arts
Emerald School is dedicated to exploring alchemy as a living, transdisciplinary practice for contemporary artists, thinkers, and seekers.
Through classes, exhibitions, and community programming, Emerald School engages the interconnectedness of all life, drawing on ecology, herbalism, divination, mysticism, and cross-disciplinary artistic practice. Classes are led by Eliza Swann.
An Invitation Into A Radical Re-Imagining
At its core, alchemy is the study and practice of transformation. The school affirms change as a fundamental principle of nature and embraces the creative potential of continuous transmutation. In this spirit, Emerald School functions as a crucible—a space where diverse elements meet, disciplinary boundaries blur, and new ways of knowing can emerge.
Emerald School approaches alchemy through a queer eco-feminist framework that resists dualistic thinking, welcomes complexity, and encourages experimentation. This framework views the world as sacred and sentient, inviting imaginative engagement with its mysteries.
The school cultivates a community of practitioners committed to visionary, ecological, and mystically informed creative work.
Ripley Scroll. Late 15th–early 16th century, English alchemical scroll. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.
The Alchemical Imagination, 2026
“The Alchemical Imagination” is a year-long online immersion that meets monthly and guides participants through the twelve stages outlined by the alchemist George Ripley for the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Using Ripley’s stages as a framework, we draw on metaphors from ancient alchemy to illuminate the deeper structures of the creative imagination, engaging alchemical symbolism as a catalyst for personal and imaginative expansion.
Together, we study alchemical texts and images from the healing traditions of ancient China and India, Hellenistic theurgical practices, the early chemical practices of Egyptian alchemists, the philosophies of Arabic alchemy, the astrological systems of the Greeks, Medieval European magical traditions, and modern alchemical art and literature.
The 2026 “Alchemical Imagination” session takes place from April 2026 - May 2027, meeting once a month. All sessions are recorded for asynchronous attendance.
THE ALCHEMICAL IMAGINATION BOOK TOUR
Coming Soon…
MARY MAGDALENE AND THE MAGIC OF ASCENT
A three-part course exploring the magic practices described in the “Gospel According to Mary Magdalene.”
Learn more …
THE ALCHEMICAL IMAGINATION 2026
A year-long online deep dive into alchemy.
“Besides the stars already established, there is yet another star—Imagination—that begets a new star and a new heaven.”— Paracelsus
About Eliza Swann
Eliza Swann, also known as Emerald, is a writer, artist, alchemist and scholar.
Swann's formative years cultivated a deep interest in the intertwined studies of mysticism and the arts, which remain central to their work as both artist and educator.
Swann holds a BA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute (2004) and an MFA from Central St. Martins in London (2012). Their studies also include initiatory work in Gnostic and Hermetic orders, Vedic cosmology with Dr. Vagsish Shastri, mindfulness meditation at the Insight Meditation Society, and training in herbalism and land-based practice with their witch aunt and other teachers—experiences that shape their integrated approach to esoteric and ecological arts.
As a visual artist, Swann has exhibited internationally, with recent presentations at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Feminist Center for Creative Work in Los Angeles. They are the author of The Anatomy of the Aura, Green Mary, and The Alchemical Imagination, and have contributed to numerous publications.