Alchemy Research Paper

Two common views of alchemy are that the quest of original alchemists was to transform base metals into gold. Many people believe that the early alchemists laid the foundations of chemistry. The second view is that alchemy is a symbolic system that represents the inner transmutation of the mind, body and spirit. This is the view that we’ll be talking about today, but first; let’s talk a little bit about its history.

History of Alchemy

Alchemy has a long history that’s full of legends, mysteries and romance. When we think of alchemy, we picture eerie laboratories with alchemists hunched over glowing furnaces and cauldrons, mixing unknown chemicals and powders together.

These otherworldly scenes are what attract us to alchemy’s mysteries. Its

The goal of these ancient Chinese alchemists was to discover an elixir for immortality. Few facts exist about this time, so for our purposes, we’ll talk about Western alchemy because we know more about its growth through the ages.

Historians place the origins of alchemy into three periods starting with Greco-Egyptian, Arabic and Latin European. The Greco-Egyptian period takes place from the third century to the ninth century, which is the time when the foundations of alchemy took place.

The Arabic or Islamic period stretched from the eighth century to the fifteenth century. Alchemists during this time changed the Greek alchemy fundamentals into new techniques and knowledge.

When alchemy reached medieval Europe, it was an Arabic science. This is the time when followers of alchemy grew into its golden age. During the seventh century Christianity, alchemy became more spiritual in nature when priests practiced it as a Divine

Hermes is the father of alchemy, astrology and occult wisdom. All the basic esoteric teachings that evolved since he lived trace back to his principles. The ancient Greeks made him a god named, Hermes, the god of wisdom. Medieval alchemists who followed Hermes’ teachings called it, hermetic art. Modern alchemists from all over the world still practice the Hermetic principles.

Basics of Hermetic Principles of Alchemy

Hermes Trismegistus concentrated on the greater alchemy, with the goal of reaching the perfection of the gods. He taught that everything that happens on the earthly plane mirrors the greater truth of the spiritual plane.

Hermetic philosophy has seven Hermetic principles that help us understand the relationships between the universe and how it relates to us:

Mentalism – This concept is the belief that our minds create everything in the physical world.

Correspondence – Some people think this is the most important Hermetic concept. It’s the belief that everything Above and Below correspond. So, whatever we do in our physical, mental or emotional life also happens in the metaphysical