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Part I: An Overview of Alchemy’s History and Theory

This section introduces the history and foundational ideas of alchemy, presenting its development and key concepts in a way that’s accessible to those new to the subject. It explores how alchemy has been understood over time, setting the stage for deeper insights in later parts.

A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

Part I: An Overview of Alchemy’s History and Theory

Chapter 1: Introduction to Hermetic Philosophy

The Hermetic tradition began in the ancient world, emerging with the earliest philosophers in the East. Its story is filled with mystery and wonder, marked by symbolic monuments, puzzling emblems, and countless writings that are often difficult to decipher. These form a unique chapter in human thought. Exploring every detail of alchemy, as this tradition is often called, would be an endless task, and pinpointing its exact origins is nearly impossible. Some attribute it to figures like Adam, Noah, Solomon, Zoroaster, or the Egyptian Hermes, but these claims are less important than the principles and methods the tradition reveals. The question of when or where it began can distract from its true value—understanding its essence doesn’t depend on knowing its birthplace.

Instead of chasing origins, we can accept that alchemy is an ancient art, possibly as old as the universe itself. Though some, like Herman Conringius, dismissed it as a modern invention, and many Egyptian records have been lost, scholars like Athanasius Kircher, Olaus Borrichius, and Robert Vallensis provide strong evidence of its ancient roots. Greek philosophers and historians also offer support, showing alchemy’s deep influence on human thought.

This chapter offers a brief overview of alchemical philosophers and their writings, as no major history of philosophy in English has fully explored this once-powerful tradition. Its impact on the human mind deserves attention, yet it’s often overlooked.

The Name and Roots of Alchemy

Alchemy’s name may come from Egypt, called “Chemia” by the Greeks, meaning “black land” due to its dark, fertile soil. Some say it relates to Cham, a son of Noah, who supposedly practiced this art, linking the name to its origins. Others connect “Chemia” to the dark pupil of the eye or other black substances, giving alchemy its reputation as a “Black Art” due to its mysterious nature.

The word’s exact source isn’t clear, and tracing it can be misleading without understanding the ideas behind it. For now, we start with Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary Egyptian king and philosopher who lived around 1900 BCE, long before the Pharaohs or Moses. Known as the “Thrice Great” for his mastery of nature’s secrets, Hermes is said to have discovered how to perfect the three kingdoms—mineral, vegetable, and animal—through their shared essence. His wisdom earned him a central place in the Hermetic tradition.

Sadly, most of his attributed works were destroyed, notably during Emperor Diocletian’s purge around 284 CE, when he burned Egyptian books to stop their use in creating wealth to oppose Rome. However, two surviving texts, the Asclepian Dialogues and the Divine Pymander, translated into Latin by Marsilio Ficino and into English by Dr. John Everard, offer profound insights. The Pymander, though short, is remarkable for its eloquent, almost poetic wisdom, flowing from a deep understanding of nature. It could inspire even skeptics to explore beyond doubt, touching on divine human potential and spiritual renewal in ways that surpass many religious texts.

The Golden Treatise, another key work attributed to Hermes, outlines the practical methods of alchemy in seven chapters. Most famous is the Smaragdine Table, a short but enigmatic text said to hold the core of alchemical wisdom. Here’s a modern translation from its Arabic and Greek origins, via Kircher’s Latin:

The Smaragdine Table of Hermes

It’s true, without falsehood, certain and most certain: what is above is like what is below, and what is below is like what is above, to achieve the wonders of the One Thing. All things came from one source, through one process, and were shaped from this single essence by adaptation. Its father is the Sun, its mother the Moon; the wind carries it in its womb, and the Earth nurtures it. This is the source of all perfection in the world. Its power is complete when grounded in matter. Gently and wisely separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the dense. It rises from earth to heaven and descends again, gaining the strength of both realms. Thus, you’ll hold the world’s glory, and all darkness will fade. This is the mightiest force, overcoming every subtle thing and penetrating every solid. This is how the world was created. From this come marvelous transformations, as described here. I am called Hermes Trismegistus, master of the three parts of the world’s wisdom. I’ve said all about the Sun’s operation.

This table, though brief, is considered a cornerstone of alchemy, capturing its principles in symbolic language. We’ll revisit it later to explore its meaning in active and passive forces and the interplay of its celestial symbols.

Egypt’s Lost Legacy

The Smaragdine Table is one of the few surviving fragments of Egypt’s alchemical tradition. Most records—riddles, fables, and hieroglyphs—were lost, leaving only fragments quoted in later works. Yet Egypt’s reputation for wisdom, wealth, and magical skill was legendary. Even after its decline under Persian conquest, when Cambyses burned temples and disrupted its priestly order, historians like Herodotus marveled at its remaining splendor. The great pyramids and ruins still stand as evidence of a lost science and intelligence beyond our own.

Why did thinkers like Pythagoras, Thales, Democritus, and Plato spend years in Egypt? They sought initiation into its mysteries, learning the powerful art that made Egypt a beacon of knowledge. But as Egypt ignored its own sacred laws, it fell into ruin, as foretold in the Asclepian Dialogue:

“Oh, Egypt, Egypt! Only stories of your faith will remain, unbelievable to future generations, with words carved in stone as your only legacy. Foreigners will inhabit your land, and divinity will return to heaven, leaving Egypt deserted. Worse evils await—once holy, you loved the gods most, but you’ll become an example of cruelty. Darkness will outshine light, death will seem better than life, and the religious will be called mad, while the irreligious are deemed wise. The soul’s immortality, which I’ve taught you, will be mocked as vanity. Those who seek the religion of intellect will face punishment. New laws will silence divine voices, the earth’s fruits will rot, and the air will grow heavy with despair. Such will be the world’s old age—irreverent, disordered, and devoid of good.”

This prophecy, often tied to the Christian era, was dismissed by some as a forgery, but early Christian thinkers like Lactantius and St. Augustine accepted it. It didn’t predict Christianity’s rise but a spiritual decline, which didn’t fully align with the vibrant faith of early Christianity. Egypt’s fall began earlier, with internal strife and foreign invasions, and continued as sacred mysteries were misused when exposed to the unprepared.

The Spread of Alchemy

As Egypt declined under the Ptolemies, its wisdom spread to Greece, India, Arabia, China, and Persia, where scholars rivaled each other in mystical skill. Pliny notes that Ostanes, a Persian sage with Xerxes’ army, introduced these ideas to Greece, sparking curiosity among philosophers who sought deeper truths beyond their local beliefs.

Democritus of Abdera, often called the father of experimental philosophy, studied in Memphis and wrote about the Hermetic art in his Sacred Physics. Extant editions, with commentary by Synesius, and extracts by later alchemist Nicholas Flamel confirm its value. Pliny and Seneca praised Democritus’s skill in occult sciences and artificial gem creation, practiced in Abdera and Athens alongside Socrates.

In Memphis, Democritus collaborated with Maria, a Hebrew woman renowned for her philosophical and alchemical work. Her treatises, Sapientissima Maria de Lapide Philosophico and Maria Practica, are preserved in alchemical collections and highly regarded.

Next among the Greeks, Anaxagoras is noted for his alchemical contributions, though few writings survive. His work, praised by English alchemist Thomas Norton, was clearer than the cryptic texts of others like Hermes, Geber, or Avicenna, who hid their knowledge in metaphors to protect it from misuse.

Aristotle, however, is criticized by alchemists for obscuring the truth. While his philosophy seems barren to some, he didn’t intend to deceive but to clarify past contradictions. His Meteorology and letters to Alexander the Great hint at alchemical knowledge, though a treatise on the philosopher’s stone is doubted. His metaphysics align with those of Anaxagoras and Plato, suggesting a shared foundation.

Plato’s works, like the Phaedrus, Timaeus, and Parmenides, are deeply mystical, filled with hidden meanings that baffle ordinary readers. His letters to Dionysius of Syracuse suggest a practical science, not just abstract ideas, pursued for wisdom’s sake, not profit. A treatise on the philosopher’s stone attributed to Plato is questionable, but his philosophy likely drew on the same experimental truths as Hermeticism.

Despite Diocletian’s destruction, alchemy persisted in Egypt, as seen in tales of Cleopatra dissolving her earring in a mysterious acid known only to philosophers. These stories hint at the art’s survival through Egypt’s decline, carried forward by its mystical allure.