A Modern Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery

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

Chapter 1: Introduction to Hermetic Philosophy (Continued)

Nicholas Flammel’s Enduring Legacy

Nicholas Flammel’s story, partly drawn from his Hieroglyphics and Testament, is one of alchemy’s most enduring tales. As late as 1740, evidence of his charitable works—hospitals, chapels, and churches—remained visible in Paris, with alchemical symbols adorning sites like the Cemetery of the Holy Innocents and St. Genevieve’s portal. His writings, including Le Sommaire Philosophique (a French verse with notes in the Theatrum Chemicum), Le Desir Désiré, and Le Grand Eclaircissement, are highly valued, though rare, for their insights into the art.

Other Notable Adepts

The Isaacs, Dutch father and son, were successful alchemists, praised by scientist Herman Boerhaave, who respected their pursuit of occult principles. Basil Valentine, a 15th-century Benedictine hermit shrouded in mystery, is celebrated for simplifying the process of creating the Red Elixir, a significant advancement. Thomas Norton noted the rarity of this achievement:

Many wise men found the White Stone with effort,
But few, scarcely one in fifteen kingdoms,
Achieved the Red Stone,
Requiring the White Medicine first.
Even Albertus Magnus and Roger Bacon
Lacked full mastery of its multiplication.

Valentine’s works, best preserved in the Hamburg edition, include The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony and Twelve Keys, translated with insightful commentary by Kirchringius. His contributions earned high esteem among alchemists.

Elias Ashmole, a 17th-century English scholar and lover of occult science, compiled the Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, a collection of English alchemical poetry. His preface and notes reveal his deep understanding, though he humbly admitted, “I know enough to stay silent, but not enough to speak.” He marveled at the art’s “miraculous fruits” but avoided reckless disclosure, wary of adding to the world’s confusion, as he referenced Norton’s critique of those who “prate of Robin Hood’s bow without shooting it.” The collection includes Norton’s Ordinal (1477), a clear guide despite its veiled preliminaries, and works like Pierce the Black Monk and Bloomfield’s Blossoms. George Ripley’s Twelve Gates, however, is criticized for its disorder and deliberate misguidance, though Eirenaeus Philalethes’ commentary, Ripley Revived, clarifies much for the initiated.

Marsilio Ficino, a Renaissance scholar who translated Plato and Hermetic texts, and Pico della Mirandola, who linked alchemy to metaphysics, also contributed to the tradition. Cornelius Agrippa, mentored by Abbot Trithemius, explored alchemy in his Occult Philosophy but later reflected on its dangers in The Vanity of the Sciences. Far from a recantation, this work celebrated universal truth over lesser sciences, though his monastic critics misrepresented it as such. Agrippa wrote, “I could reveal much about this art, but ancient philosophers swore silence. The philosopher’s stone is a sacred mystery, and speaking rashly would be sacrilege.”

The Decline and Persecution of Alchemy

By the 16th century, alchemy’s popularity waned as fraud and greed tarnished its reputation. False alchemists published deceptive books, promoting useless substances like salts or plants, while corrupted editions of masters’ works spread confusion. Social consequences were dire, with wealthy individuals losing fortunes to charlatans. As Norton lamented, “A monk’s false book of a thousand recipes brought ruin and turned honest men false.” Laws, like England’s parliamentary acts and papal bulls, banned transmutation under penalty of death, though figures like Pope John XXII reportedly practiced it secretly.

True adepts suffered alongside impostors. Alexander Sethon, in his Open Entrance, described fleeing persecution across Europe, hiding his knowledge to avoid exploitation: “I possess all things but enjoy none, save truth. The greedy think they’d do wonders with this art, but I’ve learned caution through danger.” Michael Sendivogius faced imprisonment, and others like Khunrath and Von Welling endured hardship, forcing adepts to conceal their identities and work in secret. Some joined the Rosicrucians, a secretive fraternity founded by a German adept trained in Arabian mysteries, as detailed in Thomas Vaughan’s translation of their Fame and Confession.

Later Figures and Legacy

In Elizabethan England, John Dee and Edward Kelly gained notoriety. Kelly, though sometimes reckless, reportedly found a large quantity of transmuting powder in Glastonbury Abbey’s ruins, capable of turning vast amounts of metal into gold. Dee’s diary records Kelly transmuting mercury into gold with a tiny grain, and Ashmole recounts a warming-pan’s copper piece turning to silver without melting. Queen Elizabeth, intrigued, summoned them, but Kelly’s imprisonment by Emperor Rudolph and Dee’s poverty-stricken end in Mortlake cast a shadow over their achievements.

Jakob Böhme, a 17th-century theosophist, offered profound insights in works like Aurora and Mysterium Magnum, clearly explaining the philosopher’s stone’s basis. A manuscript eulogy praises him:

What the Magi sought, Orpheus sang, or Hermes taught,
What Confucius or Zoroaster inspired,
Böhme’s pages reveal anew,
A sacred fire for every age.

Other German adepts, like Ambrose Müller, Herman Fichtuld, and J. Crollius, continued the tradition, as did Michael Maier, whose symbolic works like Symbola Aureae Mensae remain highly valued. Michael Sendivogius’ Novum Lumen Chemicum, translated as The New Light of Alchemy, is a clear yet complex work, requiring study to grasp its deeper meaning.

Eirenaeus Philalethes, an anonymous 17th-century English adept, stands out for his mastery, with works like An Open Entrance and Ripley Revived. Described by his servant Starkey as a learned gentleman, he possessed vast quantities of the White and Red Elixirs but faced persecution, keeping his identity hidden. Thomas Vaughan, under the pseudonym Eugenius Philalethes, wrote luminous treatises like Magia Adamica, focusing on the art’s spiritual essence.

Conclusion

Alchemy’s history reflects a tension between wisdom and greed. True adepts, driven by piety and truth, contrasted with charlatans who fueled skepticism. As Dufresnoy noted, English alchemists like Norton and Philalethes wrote with depth and clarity, earning respect despite foreign skepticism. This chapter sets the stage for exploring alchemy’s deeper principles, distinguishing its sacred science from the distortions of impostors.