Alchemy

From TinWiki.org

Alchemic imagery is half the answer to its practices.

Alchemy is one of our most mysterious ancient practices. Alchemy has been with us for over 7,000 years with its believed origins to have been with the Egyptians approximately 5,000 BC.

Most of us easily recognize alchemy as being the method in which to obtain the philosophers stone, turning base metals into gold and, finally, reaching an immortality. This is where the confusion seems to lay, especially when you actually start to take a good long look at the imagery involved in alchemy.

Most of its practice, methods and equipment have particular attributes that join the physical and spiritual worlds into one. So everything has a name and a specific purpose. The other major part of Alchemy is the observation of everything around you.

Today, alchemy has evolved into many sub-groups such as chemistry, medicine, anatomy, biology, astronomy and astrology, metallurgy and various other modern practices. Looking at the imagery you will also notice how many of its symbols are now being used by many secret societies and even public or private organisations.

The image posted above is an example of how to 'look' at what's really being said in Alchemy. It's also a bit of a brain tease when you first see what's there, but the more you learn about alchemy, the more the pictures make sense.

Firstly, please note a few, almost religious, images. The leaves on the bush are actually alchemic representations of the Sun, and this image can only lead to an idea of a 'burning bush' (sound familiar?). Then you have the serpent(s) (notice how the feminine side of the body holds one serpent). One body with a male and female head conjoined (Eve was created from a portion of Adam). The wings don't particularly look 'Heavenly' in any way, but it does conjure ideas of an angel, yet this isn't the case. You now have the masculine Lion and the Feminine Swan. These two are purely imagery to show the attributes associated to Human male and females. Then there is the crown holding both the heads together. In biblical terms, this can represent only one thing; Genesis, C3 V2(King James version): And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.

Yet in alchemy, this image has another meaning. You need the the wood of a tree (or bush) to make fire, you need fire to help you combine all the things of the Earth to achieve your final goal, the transmutation of the male and female into one being to reach immortality. This can be seen by the person standing on a rock above all else, having control and mastery of all below, the crown of achievement and the wings that have risen you above.

1 History and variations
2 Timeline
3 Schools
4 Symbols
5 Expansion Of Images
6 Into The Occult
7 Modern Usage
8 Further Reading
9 Also On tinWiki
10 ATS Discussion Threads
11 External Links

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History and variations

Notice the halo and DNA imagery.

Alchemy is rich with history, covers many cultures and has changed according to each cultures beliefs at the time. It has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, Japan, Korea, China, Greece, Rome, in the Muslim civilization, and then in Europe up to the 19th century. It has been taught and practiced in many schools, some in deep and utmost secrecy in case of accusations of witchcraft or other attributes that may have offended the cultures God(s) of the time.

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Timeline

Egyptian alchemy began around 5000BC up to 400BC and was picked up by ancient India roughly 1200BC, moved on to Greece in about 330 BC, then the Chinese took hold of it in 140AD, Islam had a go at around 700AD Finally arriving on European shores around 1300Ad and is still with us to this day.

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Schools

One of alchemy's schools was the great library in Alexandria. In France, near the end of the 17th century, a book was published. This book was called the Mutus Liber or 'wordless book'. It's 15 pages of images and symbols are supposedly the method and way to obtaining the philosophers stone, the first great step towards the final goal. Carl Jung saw alchemy as a study of proto-psychology towards the attainment of individuation. Isaac Newton spent a vast majority of his time studying and writing on alchemy than he did to any other of his subjects for which he is known.

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Symbols

cooking apparatus.

The images and symbols are far more than what they first appear. They allow the transfer of knowledge without the use of words. But you have to know what most of the imagery represents to be able to fully understand the picture.

To know what the images mean is a study in itself, and then to learn how to do what the images are showing is another grand undertaking. Alchemy was, and is, not designed for the faint hearted or for those with half a will to achieve. It is for the dedicated few who chose to study its ways, though in ancient history it may have been openly taught and knowledge freely passed on to initiates just as we do in our school classes today with various subjects.

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Expansion Of Images

Cleopatra's method of making gold.

By looking at the numerous symbols in images, you'll find that many are still used today to represent the Sun, planets, places, tools and physical and spiritual manifestations. You'll also notice that there are a large number of these symbols that have been adopted by corporations and secret societies. In one example you can see the Alembic symbol from alchemy being mirrored as the compass and square used in freemasonry images. The alchemic symbols for day and night closely resemble the symbols for male and female.

If you've ever held a test tube or almost any other form of science lab kit, then you have been using, holding or seeing the exact types of vessels seen in lots of images of method in alchemy. You have touched upon one of mans oldest practices.

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Into The Occult

As you will see, many symbols touch on the realms of the occult and the dark arts. Yet some also creep into several major religions. How the two different sets have split and gone into the idea of dark and light forces, or good against evil and heaven and hell, only history can uncover. Yet this just gives you more insight into the forces at work behind the full alchemy process and what each symbol means. It is all part of the 'one'. You can't have death without life and death brings life to something else. What is above, as is below, day and night, right and wrong, black and white. All part of a balance and spiritual nature that alchemy has recognized.

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