Alchemy works for me

It is a long path, and a gradual one but it produces a real and lasting achievement that is experienced by the practitioner as a real connection with the intelligence of nature.

“He who knows men is clever,
He who knows himself has insight,
He who conquers men has force,
He who conquers himself is truly strong.
He who knows when he has got enough is rich,
And he who adheres assiduously to the path of Dao is a man of steady purpose.
He who stays where he has found his true home endures long,
And he who dies but perishes not enjoys real longevity.”

Lao Zi, Dao De Jing

(Original chinese does not specify gender)