Suryanivas Health Products LLC is a small company dedicated to offering authentic alchemical products that benefit body, mind and spirit. All of our products are created in India by traditional alchemist Petri Murien.

Our story began in India in December of 2002, when a small group of friends was traveling through Maharashtra. We had spent some weeks visiting ancient temples and holy sites that were blessed by the presence of India's long line of saints. When traveling in India you quickly learn to expect the unexpected—be it a new adventure, an extended delay, a poignant moment, a kind gesture. These unanticipated experiences can simply show up in any moment, taking your attention away from your life, your habits and your level of comfort—propelling you deeply into the exotic and mysterious amalgamation of cultures, landscapes, histories and beliefs that is India.

The allure of Mumbai, the coastal megalopolis, brimming with the promise of the future, yet deeply embedded in its ancient multi-ethnic roots, quickly wore off and we decided to head to quieter, less urban areas—where the mood of traditional Indian culture was still present. At one point we came to rest in a small city in the mountains. Here we followed-up on a suggestion that we telephone an interesting man who lived nearby. We had been told that he was an alchemist and that his work was very intriguing.

We made the call and were invited for a brief visit to the home and laboratory of Petri Murien, a French expatriate, master herbalist and regarded by some as one of the few known authentic practitioners of the traditional science of alchemy. We were given the clear impression that our host was a very busy man, not one to spend idle time with Western visitors. Our visit, however, turned out to be somewhat of a surprise for all of us—what we thought would be a brief conversation lasted for close to six hours. The time was filled with an awe-inspiring review of the science of alchemy and the work of a dedicated practitioner in this secret realm.

The high point of the visit was being invited into Petri's laboratory as he further elaborated on the processes and principles at his command. The laboratory had the distinct air of the pursuit of science through arduous experimentation. As we entered, we were awed by the enormous quantity and diversity of glass devices which lined one side of the room. Our attention was riveted on these tools of the alchemist's trade when Petri turned to us and clearly stated: “Behind me is a monument to my ignorance.” This pronouncement stunned us, for isn't everyone familiar with the old images of alchemists working with fire, beakers, alembics and such? What ignorance was he speaking of? Petri went on to relate that all of this equipment, much of it hand blown and uniquely designed for this special work, had been an intimate part of his pursuit of the truth of alchemy for a period of eleven years. During these years he had worked repeatedly at one particular experiment in an attempt to perfect a most important and integral step in the alchemical process. He explained that this step is only revealed through diligent personal work, individual experimentation in the laboratory and Divine Grace—it is not directly revealed through ancient texts or the comforting guidance of a Master. So for eleven years what was now the “monument” had been an active part of his pursuit of the secrets which alchemy had withheld from him. At some point in that eleventh year, as a result of over ten years of failure and persistence, Petri made the breakthrough in his understanding—and it wasn't at all what he had expected. Indicating the mountain of equipment he said, “It came to me that all of this was unnecessary. The reason is that all of the secrets of Nature are simple and they are available to us because they are staring us right in the face. Our problem is that we make our lives so complicated that we can't come to this knowledge without intense laboratory practice and spiritual practices as well, in order to silence the mind. But once you obtain the secret of ‘philosophical mercury,' you come to realize that this ‘Mercurius principle' is a complete laboratory in itself. It is our instrument, our alembic, the filter of nature. It dissolves, ferments, reduces and congeals. It digests, fixes the volatile and volatizes the fixed; it sublimates and precipitates. With it all our philosophical operations are achieved according to the intention of Nature. It is our great circulatum.”

Thus began Petri's real work, that of exploring and using the world that had opened to him to proceed along the true path of alchemy. He spoke of his years of work in the Western alchemical tradition in Europe and his decades of work in the alchemical tradition of India. He showed us another part of his laboratory where the planted seeds of years of arduous practice were now bearing universal fruit. All was simple and elegant; his words reflected an intimate understanding of the mystery of life on Earth as it is suspended in the web of universal energy and planetary forces.

We asked Petri to tell us of those who had influenced and assisted him in his work. He said, “You may tell people that my work is based on that of Paracelsus and Rudolf Steiner,” and he added that there are very few authentic alchemists whose real work is known. His mention of Steiner—the great German mystic—was a surprise, as familiarity with Steiner's work is generally limited to Waldorf education and biodynamic farming. As we savored this information, Petri launched into a remarkable explanation of Hindu symbolism and how it reflects the importance of the alchemical tradition throughout thousands of years of Indian history.

As our visit drew to a close, Petri took us to his office for delicious chai and introduced us to some of his creations—products of his ability to meld his evolving mastery of the universal energy with his meticulous knowledge of herbs and spagyrics (the art of repeatedly dissolving and coagulating matter in order to achieve the highest vibrational potential possible). He told us of his creation of an elixir he calls the “original Potable Gold elixir” which he gives to his family for sustained health and energy. He explained that the elixir contains alchemically captured universal energy in the form of sunlight which has been reflected as polarized light from the full moon. Each batch of this elixir takes several months to complete, during which time it is brought through the alchemical processes which make it useful to the human body. He offered each of us a taste—it had a unique savory flavor. Before we left, Petri offered us some small bottles of his elixir to take with us. The elixir would provide harmony and balance in our bodies and lives, he said, and we should notice increased awareness and focus, as well as a subtle energy over time. We were grateful for the opportunity to spend so much time with this very accomplished scientist and for the awareness and direct insight into this hidden science that he had provided.

Soon we were back in the United States, back to our families and jobs. We began to take the elixir and to feel the qualities of Petri's alchemy at work in us. We quickly noticed increased awareness and focus and soon began to experience the subtle harmonizing and balancing qualities that showed up throughout the day as welcome opportunities to be more in relationship with life itself. Petri's comment that he understands alchemy as “divine chemistry” frequently came to mind.

We started corresponding with Petri in order to learn more about his work and to see if we could obtain more of his elixir. After some months, we asked if he would allow us to import the elixir into the United States and other countries in order to offer it to the public. After much discussion he agreed. Now, two years later, we are bringing his elixir to the US marketplace under the name Tonic Gold TM . Our friendship with and respect for Petri continue to grow as we stay in close communication with him to ensure that we provide an accurate understanding of his work and his “original alchemical elixir” to the world at large.