with Erik Jampa

Location:

That SPACE, downtown Los Angeles

1242 E 7th Ave - #108 (Entrance on Central Ave, Free street parking on Central)

Los Angeles, CA 90290

Medicine and astrology have been studied as sister sciences for millennia, with many traditional cultures around the globe deeming each to be incomplete without the other. In the western tradition, one of the most comprehensive examples of this intersection is the science of alchemy. 

Rooted in the ancient sciences of Khemet (Egypt) and the Middle East, classical alchemy arose in Europe in the 12th century, combining Hermetic philosophy and astronomy with natural sciences in an attempt to master the arts of purification, maturation, and perfection. This “art” had both exoteric and esoteric applications, uniting laboratory experimentation with the inner transformation of the self and ultimate cultivation of gnosis. Alchemists were the premier scientists of their day and age, and alchemical medical formulas were counted among the most precious medicines in the world. The wide-reaching successes of alchemy helped to lay the groundwork for modern chemistry and medical science, only falling into obscurity over the past 250 years.  

At the same time in Tibet, Sowa Rigpa (The Science of Healing) was reaching its own state of maturation, with medical theory becoming standardized and disseminated through the syncretic Four Medical Treatises (rGyud bZhi) of Yuthok Yönten Gönpo. This comprehensive system was based on the collected research shared at Tibet’s first medical conference, held in the 8th century, which hosted master physicians and scientists from across Eurasia. By incorporating the knowledge of myriad ancient traditions into its medical framework, Sowa Rigpa became a steward for some of the most sophisticated and profound healing modalities in human history, including the roots of classical alchemy. 

While the western alchemical tradition lost its momentum in an increasingly hostile climate, Tibetan Medicine has retained an unbroken lineage for almost a millennium. It has retained a practical alchemical lineage, including techniques for what is deemed the magnum opus of alchemy, and a robust astrological tradition arising out of Taoist elemental theory, Indian Kalachakra, and Western tropical astrology. This course will uncover some of the congruencies between these fascinating traditions, including areas where early western science coincided quite flawlessly with the medical philosophy of Sowa Rigpa.

This daylong course will investigate some of the intersections between these ancient systems, unveiling the shared roots of eastern and western medicine, as well as the role of astrology in traditional medicine.

Please note this course is happening off-site at That SPACE in Downtown Los Angeles

To schedule a private Tibetan Medicine or astrology consultation with Erik Jampa at Pure Land Farms or your home in the Los Angeles area, please write to erik.andersson@sorig.net