Spiritual Alchemy uses the concepts of alchemy combined with analytical psychology to improve well-being, find one's inner Philosopher's Stone, transform base elements into spiritual gold and live a better life. With that in mind, enjoy a short history of alchemy.
Evolution of Alchemy
Around 8000 BCE, Neolithic humans use one of the first intentional alchemy processes when they ferment honey to make honey mead. Alchemy often involves breaking down one substance to create another, as in the Nigredo or putrefaction stage of color phase therapy.
In the nigredo stage the practitioner embarks on a process of elemental decomposition. Keeping in mind the desired transmutation, one confronts the inner darkness and identifies unhealthy feelings or behavior patterns causing detachment.
Alchemy is a vital field of study for over two thousand years, practiced in Egypt, Greece, China, Islamic countries, Africa, India and Rome. By the final years BCE Alexandria grows into a center of alchemy, philosophy and radical thought, prevailing until c. 640 AD.
Philosophies interact, integrate and reform. Alexandria welcomes thinkers of different faiths. Gnostics incorporate Hebrew and Christian dogma into parallel philosophies. Hermeticism evolves into several branches from Christianity to paganism. Harmony and persecution fluctuate.
The three major aims of alchemy are
find or create an Elixir of Immortality or longevity
make a panacea to heal all sickness
transmute base metals such as lead to noble metals such as gold (chrysopoeia)
Processes of alchemy originate in nature. One can find them by looking around. As a practice, alchemy evolves from metallurgy as a way to color metals. Alchemy can be used to create an appearance of increasing gold; or to dye quartz to look like precious gems.
It's also based in ancient medicine, manipulating or processing natural ingredients for health benefits. Mercury for instance is used through history to treat conditions from blemishes to syphilis, and commonly used in historical Elixirs of Life.
Chemical symbols derive from Latin or Greek, with the periodic table first appearing in 1869. The chemical symbol for mercury (Hg) comes from hydrargyrum from the Greek word hydrargyros meaning 'water' and 'silver'.
Based on philosophy of Socrates (470 - 399 BCE), definitions of natural elements are treated individually at first. Earth and Water are often combined as one. In the 5th century, philosopher Empedocles presents the elements as a set, as below - clockwise from top:
Fire
Air
Earth
Water
Today these elements are widely known and accepted, intrinsic to culture, medicine and spirituality. Aether (ether), the pervasive and divine element, is first mentioned by Plato, a student of Socrates, in c. 360 BCE.
The concept is adopted by Plato's student Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE) establishing aether as the fifth element or quintessence. The unseen material beyond the terrestrial sphere, aether is the air breathed by the Gods, a deific connection to the spiritual whole.
The early Greeks use the elements mercury and sulfur in medicines. They mull over the prima materia or Prime Matter making up all things. Some believe it to be mercury. Various opinions arise.
During the Islamic Golden Age c. 800 AD, Islamic alchemists develop the mercury/sulfur model, adopted in the Renaissance by Paracelsus in his tria prima. The toxic effects of mercury, or mercury poisoning, are known since c. 50 BCE, but often overlooked.
Smelting, refining and other metal work, distillation, deconstruction and transmutation commonly appear in the alchemic practice. The European Renaissance is fertile ground for advances in alchemy by pioneers such as Paracelsus, Isaac Newton and others.
The term chrysopoeia appears in literature of the Alexandrians and arises from ancient Greek χρυσοποιία (khrusopoiía) 'gold-making'. It refers to artificial production of gold by transmutation of base metals such as lead. Argyropoeia is creation of silver in this way.
Base and noble metals are first defined in the 13th century. Pope John Paul XXII bans falsification of metals in 1317 AD. In early Imperial China, creation of fake gold gets the death penalty. In 1404 AD, Henry IV of England makes it illegal to turn anything into gold.
Forty years later his successor King Henry VI, in need of war funds, issues special licenses to alchemists. The law against chrysopoeia itself is not repealed until 1688-9, toward the end of the Renaissance golden age.
The Renaissance brings mind-boggling developments in alchemy. It's seen as a branch of natural philosophy, although alchemists are occasionally tried for sorcery. Often an alchemist has powerful patrons or even religious protection, as in Naples.
Among the most famous figures of alchemy during the Renaissance are Paracelsus, Caterina Sforza and John Dee. Alchemist Dippel of Castle Frankenstein is not to be forgotten.
Alchemy has roots in ancient medicine. From the beginning, pursuit of alchemy is for the betterment of humankind. The use of alchemy in healing and transformation can reflect this quality. Alchemy recognizes the collective unconscious as ever present in all living things.
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