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contrary to the image in your mind
alchemy is not about rogued wizard-like
figures involved in some occult practice
in his dimly lit apothecary
the practice is old ancient in fact but
what is alchemy really
is it science or is it magic what does
it have to do with the philosopher's
stone
alchemy isn't magic although the last
question may have piqued the interest of
a certain fandom anywho let's find out
what alchemy is
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so if alchemy is not magic is it science
well yes and no things seem to be
getting a little confusing here so
let's break it down what is alchemy then
in part
it can be viewed as a precursor to
chemistry in fact the word alchemy
comes from the arabic word alkemia which
means chemistry alchemia
in turn is rooted in the greek word chem
passed down from the ancient egyptians
quite a civilizational thread
the practice has a shared history while
it also develops separately in various
regions throughout asia
africa and europe each civilization from
the ancient chinese
egyptians and greeks to the medieval
islamic world
and renaissance europe have added their
wisdom and findings to this form of
science
art or metaphysics we use these terms
very loosely so the story of alchemy
is very much tied in with the
transmission of knowledge
where a lot of the old classical uh
knowledge
and materials of the ancient greek and
egyptian will sort of live by the
wayside
and then revived and brought to life
again by
translations from the islamic world
especially by arab and persian scholars
and then passed on through the
mediterranean back into europe
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we could even go as far as to call
alchemy proto-science
alchemy has two sides the operative side
and the speculative side
the operative side deals mostly with
something called transmutation
where the intent is to transform base
metals like lead
and the gold this is related to the
symbols of alchemy including the four
elements of matter as well as of metals
that correspond to the planets in our
solar system
the speculative side has a more
introspective aspect to it
it deals with using symbolism language
and allegory
to speak of spiritual truths and lead
one along the path to
wisdom and maybe even transcendence in
some ways
we can see its scientific side related
to chemistry
but we also see that alchemy has a
spiritual aspect to it
something more mystical in nature
this is why some argue that science is
part of alchemy
but it addresses the non-material as
well as the material
something that science lacks for lack of
a better word
for us in the modern world transmutation
seems a little out there
but it's something that the alchemists
were quite preoccupied with
base metals like lead iron and tin
were seen as more primitive than gold
and silver which were regarded as
noble transmutation as a branch of
alchemy
sought to improve the state of these
base metals just as the speculative side
of alchemy
aims to seek truth and enlightenment
but turning cheap metals into gold has
more material benefit too
after all
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eighth and ninth century persian
alchemist jabber eben hayen
known as the father of chemistry made
many contributions to the modern world
through alchemical practice
practical experimentation is key to
chemistry he believed
javier even haiyan well he's got quite a
murky history around him and that's
mainly because of the fact that of the
600
or more works that have been attributed
to him
none of them have actually been found to
be written
by him and most of these works have to
do with alchemy and chemistry obviously
while he's also written quite a bit
about magic
and the science of talismans
which puts him in murky waters regarding
islamic orthodoxy
both in the sunni and the majority shia
saints
through an understanding of alchemy and
the properties of the elements he
created aqua
rehya one of the few substances that can
dissolve gold
yet his practice of alchemy led to his
goal of talk with
creating artificial life by rearranging
the properties of the elements and
employing numerology his book of stones
includes recipes on how to purportedly
create scorpions
snakes and even human life which would
be under the control of the alchemists
who created them
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there was a legendary substance that
alchemists believed was the key to
transmutation
the philosopher's stone it had legendary
status
alchemists examine countless substances
in their laboratories
believing that something has to be able
to unlock ability
the philosopher's stone went by other
names too some called it
materia prima others called it the
teacher
or the powder this stone might not have
been a stone at all
but it could take any form or state many
alchemists believe that the stone could
also be
an elixir of life possessing the power
to cure illness
or even grant immortality to the one who
possessed it
the alchemical symbol of the stone is
understandably familiar to fans of the
harry potter series
it's no secret where jk rowling drew her
inspiration for the deathly hallows
symbol
isaac newton sought the philosopher's
stone so did roger boyle
both revered in the world of science but
in paris in the 14th and 15th century
there lived a bookseller an alchemist by
the name of nicholas flamel
who was helped by a spanish scholar who
was familiar with kabbalah an esoteric
method of jewish mysticism
flamel claimed to have transmuted lead
into gold
no one knows for sure whether this was
true what we do know
is that records show that he did not
become wealthy overnight and donated his
wealth to charity
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today thanks to science we know that we
can't turn
lead into gold but alchemy has
influenced the fields of chemistry
and even psychology particularly the
junior in school
the practical applications of alchemy
are even apparent in ayurvedic and
traditional chinese medicine
while you might notice alchemical
symbols on certain types of
tarot cards contemporary alchemist and
chemist lawrence principe
wants us to not dismiss the practice's
cheap tricks
saying the alchemists had been using the
best theories they could come up with
to try to understand our very complex
world
do you believe the age of alchemy is
over let us know in the comment section
what you think
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you