Everything about Alchemy totally explained
In the
history of science,
alchemy (from the Arabic الكيمياء
al-kīmiyā' ) refers to both an early form of the investigation of
nature and an early
philosophical and
spiritual discipline, both combining elements of
chemistry,
metallurgy,
physics,
medicine,
astrology,
semiotics,
mysticism,
spiritualism, and
art all as parts of one greater force. Alchemy has been practiced in
Mesopotamia,
Ancient Egypt,
Persia,
India,
Japan,
Korea and
China, in
Classical Greece and
Rome, in the
Muslim civilization, and then in
Europe up to the 19th century—in a complex
network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.
Alchemy as a philosophical and spiritual discipline
Alchemy was known as the
spagyric art after Greek words meaning
to separate and
to join together. Compare this with the primary dictum of Alchemy in Latin:
SOLVE ET COAGULA —
Separate, and Join Together.
The best-known goals of the
alchemists were the of common metals into
gold (called
chrysopoeia) or
silver (less well known is plant alchemy, or "
spagyric"); the creation of a "
panacea or the elixir of life," a remedy that supposedly would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely; and the discovery of a
universal solvent. Although these were not the only uses for the science, they were the ones most documented and well known. Starting with the
Middle Ages, European alchemists invested much effort on the search for the "
philosopher's stone", a legendary substance that was believed to be an essential ingredient for either or both of those goals. The Philosophers Stone was believed to mystically amplify the user's knowledge of alchemy so much that anything was attainable. Alchemists enjoyed prestige and support through the centuries, though not for their pursuit of those goals, nor the mystic and philosophical speculation that dominates their literature. Rather it came from their mundane contributions to the "chemical" industries of the day—the invention of gunpowder, ore testing and refining, metalworking, production of ink, dyes, paints, cosmetics,
leather tanning, ceramics, glass manufacture, preparation of extracts, liquors, and so on (it seems that the preparation of
aqua vitae, the "water of life", was a fairly popular "experiment" among European alchemists).
Starting with the Middle Ages, some alchemists increasingly came to view metaphysical aspects as the true foundation of alchemy; and organic and inorganic chemical substances, physical states, and molecular material processes as mere metaphors for spiritual entities, spiritual states and ultimately, spiritual transformations. In this sense, the literal meanings of 'Alchemical Formulas' were a blind, hiding their true
spiritual philosophy, which being at odds with the Medieval Christian Church was a necessity that could have otherwise lead them to the "stake and rack" of the Inquisition under charges of heresy. Thus, both the transmutation of common metals into gold and the universal panacea symbolized evolution from an imperfect, diseased, corruptible and ephemeral state towards a perfect, healthy, incorruptible and everlasting state; and the philosopher's stone then represented some mystic key that would make this evolution possible. Applied to the alchemist himself, the twin goal symbolized his evolution from ignorance to enlightenment, and the stone represented some hidden spiritual truth or power that would lead to that goal. In texts that are written according to this view, the cryptic
alchemical symbols, diagrams, and textual imagery of late alchemical works typically contain multiple layers of meanings, allegories, and references to other equally cryptic works; and must be laboriously "decoded" in order to discover their true meaning.
In his
Alchemical Catechism,
Paracelsus clearly denotes that his usage of the metals was a symbol:
Q. When the Philosophers speak of gold and silver, from which they extract their matter, are we to suppose that they refer to the vulgar gold and silver?
A. By no means; vulgar silver and gold are dead, while those of the Philosophers are full of life.
Psychology
Alchemical symbolism has been occasionally used by
psychologists and philosophers.
Carl Jung reexamined alchemical symbolism and theory and began to show the inner meaning of alchemical work as a
spiritual path. Alchemical philosophy, symbols and methods have enjoyed something of a renaissance in
post-modern contexts.
Jung saw alchemy as a Western proto-psychology dedicated to the achievement of
individuation. In his interpretation, alchemy was the vessel by which
Gnosticism survived its various purges into the
Renaissance. In this sense, Jung viewed alchemy as comparable to a
Yoga of the East. The act of Alchemy seemed to improve the mind and spirit of the Alchemist. His interpretaion of
Chinese alchemical texts in terms of his
analytical psychology also served as the same function.
Magnum opus
The Great Work; mystic interpretation of its three stages:
- nigredo(-putrefactio), blackening(-putrefaction): individuation, purification, burnout of impureness; see also Suns in alchemy - Sol Niger
- albedo, whitening: spiritualisation, enlightenment
- rubedo, reddening: unification of man with god, unification of the limited with the unlimited.
Within the Magnum Opus, was the creation of the
Sanctum Moleculae, that's the 'Sacred Masses' that were derived from the
Sacrum Particulae, that's the 'Sacred Particles', needed to complete the process of achieving the Magnum Opus.
Alchemy as a subject of historical research
The history of alchemy has become a vigorous academic field. As the obscure hermetic language of the alchemists is gradually being "deciphered", historians are becoming more aware of the intellectual connections between that discipline and other facets of Western cultural history, such as the sociology and psychology of the intellectual communities,
kabbalism,
spiritualism,
Rosicrucianism, and other mystic movements,
cryptography,
witchcraft, and the evolution of
science and
philosophy.
History
Alchemy encompasses several philosophical traditions spanning some four millennia and three continents. These traditions' general penchant for cryptic and symbolic language makes it hard to trace their mutual influences and "genetic" relationships.
Famous alchemists include
Wei Boyang in
Chinese alchemy;
Calid,
Jabir-Ibn-Hayan Geber and
Rhazes in
Arabic alchemy;
Nagarjuna in
Indian alchemy; and
Albertus Magnus and
pseudo-Geber in European alchemy; as well as the anonymous author of the
Mutus Liber, published in France in the late 17th century, and which was a 'wordless book' that claimed to be a guide to making the
philosopher's stone, using a series of 15 symbols and illustrations.
A tentative outline is as follows:
Egyptian alchemy [5000BCE – 400 BCE], beginning of alchemy
Indian alchemy [1200BCE – Present], related to metallurgy; Nagarjuna was an important alchemist
Greek alchemy [332BCE – 642 CE], studied at the Library of Alexandria
Chinese alchemy [142CE], Wei Boyang writes The Kinship of the Three
PersoIslamic alchemy [700 –1400], Geber introduces experimental method and theories on philosopher's stone and creation of life
PersoIslamic chemistry II [800 –Present], Alkindus and Avicenna refute alchemy and Tusi discovers conservation of mass
European alchemy [1300 –Present], Saint Albertus Magnus builds on Arabic alchemy
European chemistry [1661 –Present], Boyle writes The Sceptical Chymist, Lavoisier writes Elements of Chemistry, and Dalton publishes his Atomic Theory
Etymology
Alchemy, generally, derives from the old French alkemie; and the Arabic al-kimia: "the art of transformation." Some scholars believe the Arabs borrowed the word “kimia” from the Greeks. Others, such as Mahdihassan, argue that its origins are Chinese.
Thus, an alchemist was called a 'chemist' in popular speech, and later the suffix "-ry" was added to this to describe the art of the chemist as "chemistry".
A connection has been made between alchemy and Egypt. One source in particular gives further background into the probable founding of the name itself in the following passage:
"...The concept is a very ancient one, which seems to answer to deep human motivations. It came to Medieval Europe by way of Egypt. When they invaded Egypt, which they called Khem, in the seventh century, the followers of the moon god discovered that the Egyptians were masters of the art of working in gold. They called gold-working al-kimiya - 'the art of the land of Khem' - and so, according to one account, the word 'alchemy' was born."
Modern alchemy
Islamic alchemy was a forerunner of modern scientific chemistry. Alchemists used many of the same laboratory tools that are used today. These tools were not usually sturdy or in good condition, especially during the medieval period of Europe. Many transmutation attempts failed when alchemists unwittingly made unstable chemicals. This was made worse by the unsafe conditions.
Up to the 16th Century, alchemy was considered serious science in Europe; for instance, Isaac Newton devoted considerably more of his time and writing to the study of alchemy (see Isaac Newton's occult studies) than he did to either optics or physics, for which he's famous. Other eminent alchemists of the Western world are Roger Bacon, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Tycho Brahe, Thomas Browne, and Parmigianino. The decline of alchemy began in the 18th century with the birth of modern chemistry, which provided a more precise and reliable framework for matter transmutations and medicine, within a new grand design of the universe based on rational materialism.
In the first half of the nineteenth century, one established chemist, Baron Carl Reichenbach, worked on concepts similar to the old alchemy, such as the Odic force, but his research didn't enter the mainstream of scientific discussion.
Matter transmutation, the old goal of alchemy, enjoyed a moment in the sun in the 20th century when physicists were able to convert platinum atoms into gold atoms via a nuclear reaction. However, the new gold atoms, being unstable isotopes, lasted for under five seconds before they broke apart. More recently, reports of table-top element transmutation—by means of electrolysis or sonic cavitation—were the pivot of the cold fusion controversy of 1989. None of those claims have yet been reliably duplicated.
Alchemy in traditional medicine
Traditional medicines involve transmutation by alchemy, using pharmacological or combination pharmacological and spiritual techniques. In Chinese medicine the alchemical traditions of pao zhi will transform the nature of the temperature, taste, body part accessed or toxicity. In Ayurveda the samskaras are used to transform heavy metals and toxic herbs in a way that removes their toxicity. In the spagyric processing of herbal medicine similar effects are found. These processes are actively used to the present day.
Nuclear transmutation
In 1919, Ernest Rutherford used artificial disintegration to convert nitrogen into oxygen. From then on, this sort of scientific transmutation is routinely performed in many nuclear physics-related laboratories and facilities, like particle accelerators, nuclear power stations and nuclear weapons as a byproduct of fission and other physical processes.
Further Information
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