Page 188 - Berkshire Encyclopedia Of World History Vol I - Abraham to Coal

alchemy 73

If by fire Of sooty coal th’ empiric alchymist Can turn, or holds it possible to turn,
Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold. • John Milton (1608–1674)

the power to perfect that which is incomplete and make of altering the rhythms of nature.Through the use of fire,
noble that which is base. This element or compound is they could hasten the development of that which grew in
superior to and prized above all others. It is known by the earth, and shorten the interval of time needed to bring
many names, the most famous of which is the philoso- things to perfection.
pher’s stone. In order to produce it, base matter—whether Over time, this idea was applied to human beings and
animal, vegetable, or mineral—must be reduced to mate- the cosmos, thereby giving rise to distinct alchemical tra-
ria prima (the primary substance).This symbolic death is ditions in Africa, the Near East, Asia, and Europe. The
the precursor for the generation of a new element through smith came to be seen as a powerful figure, one with spe-
coagulation.The process was understood to involve inter- cialized knowledge of how to forge tools that could gen-
nal and external dimensions, in that an alteration in the erate life or cause death. Early metalworkers were also
alchemist’s state of consciousness was expected to accom- viewed as masters of esoteric knowledge related to archi-
pany the manipulation of physical elements. tecture, song, poetry, dance, and healing.They were peer-
A more precise description of the aims, underlying phi- less makers whose secrets were jealously guarded and
losophy, and processes associated with alchemy is diffi- passed on through initiatory guilds. In sum, for Eliade the
cult. Many of the texts produced by its practitioners are various alchemical traditions known to us from around
written in a manner that veils this information in alle- the world owe their origin, at least in part, to the lore and
gories and symbols, a strategy intended to conceal its praxis of the ancient smith.
secrets from all save those who had been initiated into its The modern legacy of alchemy consists of experimen-
mysteries. Some treatises appear to employ an alchemical tal disciplines such as chemistry, as well as those applied
language consisting of commonly shared and easily intel- sciences aimed at harnessing the earth’s natural, mineral,
ligible images; these include the biblical flood (symbol- and other resources. It also consists of spiritual practices
izing dissolution), the pelican (symbolizing the and techniques aimed at transforming the human con-
instrument used to distill the elixir vitae), the phoenix sciousness. Thus, mystical religious traditions (Eastern
(symbolizing rebirth), blood (symbolizing mercury as and Western) as well as psychoanalytic theory are built
solvent), the egg (the matrix in which the philosopher’s upon older alchemical foundations. Recognition of the
stone is made), and the philosophical tree (emblematic of limited and nonrenewable state of many of our global
growth and the alchemical process). Others writers resources will likely fuel continuing interest in careful
appear to delight in confronting the reader with a con- observation of the natural world and cultivation of a
fusing array of polyvalent symbols that defy precise clas- global awareness of human interconnectedness.By means
sification and bedevil would-be interpreters. Certain of such endeavors, future generations may continue to
alchemical writings remain today virtually inscrutable to build on and carry forward a rich alchemical heritage.
even the most highly trained specialists.
Hugh Page Jr.
Certain universal elements have been identified in
alchemical practice across cultures. One particularly See also Enlightenment,The; Scientific Revolution
attractive view of alchemy’s origins was proposed in the
mid-twentieth century by the historian of religions Mircea
Eliade, who traced them to the rituals and specialized Further Reading
skills of early metallurgists. Eliade believed that these Abraham, L. (1998). A dictionary of alchemical imagery. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press.
artisans—along with agriculturalists and those who Eliade, M. (1978). The forge and the crucible: The origins and structures
learned to transform moist clay into vessels, bricks, and of alchemy (2nd ed., S. Corrin,Trans.). Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
works of art—were the first to develop an awareness of
Lindsay, J. (1970). The origins of alchemy in Greco-Roman Egypt. London:
humanity’s ability to make strategic interventions capable Frederick Muller.