Alchemy

1. Alchemy By: Jade Sellers

2. The Alchemical Theory • Alchemy: the expansion of consciousness and development of insight through images. • The alchemical theory can trace its origins back to ancient Greece • The alchemical theory differs depending on the goals of the area of practice.

3. The Alchemical Process • Alchemists used the alchemical process to reach their goals in alchemy • The process differs from place to place depending on the alchemists’ goals

4. Misconceptions about the alchemical process • Alchemy may appear to be a magical art rather then a science. • Alchemy dealt with real animals, not those of mythology or magical origins. • They used real chemicals and process in their practices

5. True Alchemy: Require labs to perform alchemy No human sacrifices needed Philosopher’s Stone can create gold and give the user immortality Full Metal Alchemist: Can do alchemy anywhere Human sacrifices needed for certain things Philosopher’s Stone only enhanced alchemical abilities Relation to Full Metal Alchemist

6. The Philosopher’s stone: Importance of the Stone • The Philosopher’s Stone is the most important thing in alchemy. • Alchemists would try to create the stone by any means necessary. • The stone was sought after by many generations of alchemists. • ‘It is a stone that is not actually a stone’ ~Unknown

7. The powers of the philosopher’s stone are as follows: Immortality Transmutation of base metals into gold and silver Purifying the human spirit The stone is known as a purified substance that is only pure after many different stages of ‘evolution’. The appearance of the Philosopher’s stone is highly controversial. Two of the more common colors are crimson and clear. The Philosopher’s Stone: powers and appearance

8. The Emerald Tablet • The Emerald Tablet is a special document written by Hermes Trismegistos, the father of alchemy and famous Egyptian alchemist. • The tablet contained a secret formula in the language that the alchemists understood. • The tablet was so important that all alchemists hung a copy of it in the place where they practiced their alchemy.

9. The Emerald Tablet Cont. • The tablet contains a 7 step process in it to reach the goal of the tablet. • No one is for sure about what the true formula is nor what the tablet’s formula achieves but all we know is that it was essential for the alchemists of that time.

10. Alchemists • During the time that alchemy was a major part of science there were three main groups that practiced the art. Those three groups were: • The Chinese • The Egyptians • The Europeans

11. Chinese Alchemists:Overview • Chinese alchemists were the second group of alchemists to bring forth the science of alchemy. • Chinese alchemists were hired by the lords of their lands. • They held mini ceremonies before they started their alchemy. The ceremonies were dedicated to a goddess named Stove. • Stove was the goddess of cooking and brewing medicines so she was regarded as a kind of watchful eye over the alchemists. • The Chinese officials decided to band the creation of gold through alchemical means because the people who hired the alchemists for that purpose were abusing the ability to make gold.

12. Chinese Alchemists:Goals • Chinese alchemists had two main goals: • The creation of the elixir of life • The formation of alchemical gold • The Chinese alchemists tried to reach their goals but many were failed attempts. Gold was made in small quantities but the elixir of life was found as unrealistic and caused the downfall of the practice of alchemy in that area.

13. Chinese Alchemists:What we gained from them • Even though Chinese alchemy wasn’t as successful as they would have wanted it to be, it still gave us something that we still use today. What we gained was an oxymoron to what they were trying to get; they wanted to prolong life but what they made had the ability to kill, gunpowder. • Gunpowder was made after a number of failed attempts in creating the elixir of life by a man by the name of Tseng Kung-Liang . He later published the formula for gunpowder and the powder spread through the known world like wildfire.

14. Egyptian Alchemists:Overview • Egyptian Alchemists were the very first alchemists to start the art. • The Egyptian alchemist Hermes Trismegistus was the first alchemists in recorded history. • Egyptian alchemists were hired by someone of higher power then the alchemist himself to create gold.

15. Hermes Trismegistus and Egyptian Astronomy

16. Egyptian Alchemists:Goals • Egyptian alchemy was a little more complicated then the others because of the way that the Egyptians thought of alchemy. • The alchemists believed that alchemy was a science of eternal life. This was also partnered with their belief that everything had a soul and every soul had a thing attached to it.

17. Egyptian Alchemists:What we gained from them • Egyptian alchemists played one of the most important roles in the history of alchemy because they introduced the science to the world. • This science has lead to the present day chemistry, so, the Egyptian alchemists can be regarded as the creators of a primitive sort of chemistry.

18. European Alchemists:Overview • Europeans learned the art of alchemy from the Spaniards who gained this information from monks who taught the Spanish explorers about the art and it’s purposes. • The European Alchemists were hired by the kings and nobles. • The European alchemists were the original wizards because of their odd experiments.

19. European Alchemists:Goals • The European alchemists had two main goals: • To form gold through alchemical means • To create the Philosopher’s stone • The kings and nobles would hire alchemists to make gold while others would work on the creation of the Philosopher’s stone (sometimes referred to as the elixir of life depending on what culture you are referring to)

20. European Alchemists:What we gained from them • The European Alchemists triggered the idea of chemistry and astronomy in the minds of the alchemists and allowed for those sciences to be put into place.

21. Nicolas Flamel: The Immortal French Alchemist (1330-1418, assumed dead) • One of the most known alchemists is the famed Nicolas Flamel. • Nicolas Flamel gained his fame from being known as the first and only alchemist to create the Philosopher’s stone. • Nicolas Flamel disappeared after he created the Philosopher’s stone and the only man that knew where he was died without telling anyone where he went or if he was still alive or not.

22. Nicolas Flamel’s Notes • http://www.alchemylab.com/flameldwgs.htm • This site shows some of Flamel’s notes he took while he was making the Philosopher’s stone.