Posts: 1987
From: King Arthur's Camelot
Registered: Jun 2002

posted August 29, 2003 09:53 PM         

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In my Webster's dictionary, Alchemy is defined as, "1. an early form of chemistry, with philosophical and magical associations, studied in the Middle Ages: it's chief aims were to change baser metals into gold and to discover the elixir of perpetual youth 2. a method or power of transmutation; esp., the seemingly miraculous change of a thing into something better.

Honestly, I have no idea what alchemy is about and was hoping somebody would be nice enough to explain it to me. Is alchemy about whipping up a herbal tonic to cure a sore throat? Was it an early form of medicine? Was it about making aphrodisiacs and potions? Was it dangerous? How would you be able to change regular metal into gold?

-StarLover

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Posts: 1987
From: King Arthur's Camelot
Registered: Jun 2002

posted August 29, 2003 09:59 PM         

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Wanted it to be at the top of the list.

-StarLover

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Posts: 16464
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted August 30, 2003 03:58 AM         

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Alchemists wanted to change base metals into gold and also to discover the philosopher's stone (granting immortality). The world's most famous Immortal is an alchemist (St. Germain).

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 1987
From: King Arthur's Camelot
Registered: Jun 2002

posted August 30, 2003 11:34 AM         

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Didn't St. Germain have a fondess for gemstones? People even said that he turned metals into gold. But is that all alchemy is? Do you think there is such thing called the philosopher's stone?

-StarLover

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Posts: 331
From: outer space
Registered: Aug 2003

posted August 30, 2003 04:58 PM         

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hi starlover. In one of linda's books, she says that alchemists refer to the number 9 as the red dragon. I thought that was interesting, but that's about all I know.

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Posts: 16464
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted August 31, 2003 05:18 AM         

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I think the Philosopher's Stone is just to lead the corrupt and selfish away. I don't think it's anything "solid" at all. Germain (a very poor individual) is purported one day to have given away a fortune in gold to various charities in Europe.

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"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

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Posts: 738
From: California, USA
Registered: Feb 2003

posted August 31, 2003 11:24 PM         

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Supposedly, the search for the philosopher's stone was an allegory for the personal search for perfection; someone who studies alchemy dedicatedly for their entire life will not succeed in creating gold (scientifically not really possible, unless you want the gold to be radioactive) but will instead achieve a great purity of character and mind. The 'gold' is in fact inside the alchemist's soul.

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Hello everybody! I used to be QueenofSheeba and then I was Apollo and now I am QueenofSheeba again (and I'm a guy in case you didn't know)!

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Posts: 25
From: where the crystals grow
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 14, 2003 10:15 AM         

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I agree with QueenofSheba. I believe that sciences were used, but the greatest quest was for transformation of the S-elf.

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Posts: 188
From: Land O Love
Registered: Oct 2003

posted December 15, 2003 12:47 PM         

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much as astrology is related to astronomy, though astronomy is a lesser science, so it goes with alchemy and chemistry, the two are related in that alchemy was the study of how materials affect other things and what happens when they interact, in an effort to better understand nature and life, while chemist is reduced simple to the mixing and make up of chemicals and substances with their properties. also much like with astrology, stories about alchemists were blown out of proportion to discredit the entire science until it became know only as the study of baser metals and the attempt to convert them into gold. that was only one experiment attempted, chemistry could be discredited just as easily by pinpointing one failed and absurd experiment, but that would not make it any less a valid science.

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