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    What the heck is Alchemy?

    Before the crash of 2010, I had a "Ask an Alchemist" Q & A thread. It wasn't the most popular "Ask a.." post ever, but I've gotten enough PM's asking me about Alchemy that I thought I'd just put this up, just in case.

    Since most people don't know much about real Alchemy, except for that "turning lead into gold thing," I'll give a quick explanation of the gaols of Alchemy (as I practice it), and we can take it from there -

    Alchemy is an art/science based on experimentation, the gaol of which is to bring the self and the world into tune in such a way that the individual is able to function at peak efficiency - symbolically, the self in an undeveloped state is "lead" while the perfected self is "gold" (hence the "lead into gold" thing).

    The experiments are both physical and mental/spiritual. You can't deal effectively with the world if you do not understand it the way it really is, so I experiment to find out what is really real, and what isn't. And you can't do much with yourself if you do not understand what you really are, so I have to experiment with my mind to find out what I actually am.

    That's it for now. If you have questions or comments, post 'em here!
    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.


    #2
    Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

    Could you go a bit more in depth about what exactly these experiments entail?

    1. How would you go about discovering that you needed to perform an experiment in the first place?

    2. Do you use any tools for these experiments? Is it like a ritual? Help me see more clearly

    3. Could you explain the homunculi to me?
    No one tells the wind which way to blow.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

      would any of it entail mixing aluminum shavings with rust (iron oxide) and igniting it with some magnesium? mmmm.... thermite.... <3 lol burns up to 4500
      "Sometimes bad things happen, and theres nothing you can do about it, so why worry?" ~ Timon

      Comment


        #4
        Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

        [quote author=Bjorn link=topic=105.msg473#msg473 date=1286670156]
        Could you go a bit more in depth about what exactly these experiments entail?

        1. How would you go about discovering that you needed to perform an experiment in the first place?[/quote]

        Sure - Alchemy postulates that the
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

          corbin, i have read a handful of books since last year and i have a grasp on the basic basic basic phylosophy of alchemy. i emphasise that it is such a minor grasp because i can feel that this is only the tip of the iceburg.

          my question is what reading material would you recomend for someone who is more than a beginner, but a far cry from a journeyman? what moderate leveled stuff could you point out for me? i have read manly p halls secret societies throughout the ages, a bit of the i ching (still dont fully understand the theory) and i am beginning learning about the tree of life. i have no ability to do lab work on account of not having the space to do it. also, children are in my living space and i want to avoid anything potentially damaging getting into the environment of this household.
          any sugestions?

          Comment


            #6
            Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

            [quote author=B. de Corbin link=topic=105.msg784#msg784 date=1286724650]
            Sure - Alchemy postulates that the
            [/quote]

            Thal, hun, what did you do?

            LOL

            Comment


              #7
              Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

              You can always try the more herb/incense/stone approach to alchemy. I'm not sure the term, but the apothecary near me held an alchemy class and we did the incense/oils/perfect elixir work with necromancy and how that applies to alchemy. I still have to copy my notes for a friend, could post them here too I guess hehe.
              -=Ex Ignorantia Ad Sapientiam; E Luce Ad Tenebras=-

              My art and writing http://khaotyk-artwerx.tk/
              (whole site is marked adult, the adult and gore sections are in their own section so you can opt not to view them, adult and/or gore stories are marked with an *)

              Comment


                #8
                Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                [quote author=Raphaeline link=topic=105.msg975#msg975 date=1286763283]
                Thal, hun, what did you do?

                LOL
                [/quote]

                I didn't do that!!!


                I just fixed the code, there was a missing [ that messed up the bolding--when I was done, it was fine, I swear!!

                ...although, I find it interesting that the same thing happened in another thread (the feminism thread in the debate section)---something ate 3/4 of my post a couple hours after I posted it...

                THE FORUM IS ALLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! ...and hungry
                Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                sigpic

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                  #9
                  Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                  [quote author=thalassa link=topic=105.msg992#msg992 date=1286765901]THE FORUM IS ALLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! ...and hungry
                  [/quote]

                  Feed it more!
                  -=Ex Ignorantia Ad Sapientiam; E Luce Ad Tenebras=-

                  My art and writing http://khaotyk-artwerx.tk/
                  (whole site is marked adult, the adult and gore sections are in their own section so you can opt not to view them, adult and/or gore stories are marked with an *)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                    [quote author=thalassa link=topic=105.msg992#msg992 date=1286765901]
                    I didn't do that!!!


                    I just fixed the code, there was a missing [ that messed up the bolding--when I was done, it was fine, I swear!!

                    ...although, I find it interesting that the same thing happened in another thread (the feminism thread in the debate section)---something ate 3/4 of my post a couple hours after I posted it...

                    THE FORUM IS ALLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! ...and hungry
                    [/quote]

                    Hahaha... I figured it was the same problem as before, I was just teasing

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                      How very peculiar...

                      Here it is again. Maybe it's a problem with monster posts...

                      [quote author=Bjorn link=topic=105.msg473#msg473 date=1286670156]
                      Could you go a bit more in depth about what exactly these experiments entail?

                      1. How would you go about discovering that you needed to perform an experiment in the first place?[/quote]Research question:[/quote][/quote][b][/quote]
                      Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                        [quote author=CabbageTheif link=topic=105.msg973#msg973 date=1286763106]
                        corbin, i have read a handful of books since last year and i have a grasp on the basic basic basic phylosophy of alchemy. i emphasise that it is such a minor grasp because i can feel that this is only the tip of the iceburg.

                        my question is what reading material would you recomend for someone who is more than a beginner, but a far cry from a journeyman? what moderate leveled stuff could you point out for me? ...[/quote]

                        All understanding is always the tip of the iceberg - you're trying to understand how the universe works, and that's a big job. No matter how much you know, there's always more. Also, for me, I've found that my understanding of Alchemy changes as I go along. If you had asked me questions 10 or even five years ago, I'd have given you very different answers... and they would have been right then, based on what I understood at the time.

                        Here's what I recommend - now that you have a basic understanding of the principles of Alchemy, stop reading "about" Alchemy. If you want to learn Alchemy, you have to do it - just as you'd have to get in the water and swim if you wanted to be a swimmer.

                        Get a copy of one of the better known Alchemy texts, like The Golden Tractate of Hermes
                        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                          That's a little bit of an assumption hehe It's only safe if you're working with safe herbs, which I often don't XD

                          some of the rocks we grind (PAIN) into the incenses have metals in them. Also get metals from other sources: dried fish (iodine), clams (mercury), spinach (nickle), etc. Excrement has an abundance of metals as well, but meh if you really want to use poo in incense. Blood can be a source for copper, iodine and iron.
                          -=Ex Ignorantia Ad Sapientiam; E Luce Ad Tenebras=-

                          My art and writing http://khaotyk-artwerx.tk/
                          (whole site is marked adult, the adult and gore sections are in their own section so you can opt not to view them, adult and/or gore stories are marked with an *)

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                            [quote author=KashakuTatsu link=topic=105.msg1300#msg1300 date=1286837332]
                            That's a little bit of an assumption hehe It's only safe if you're working with safe herbs, which I often don't XD

                            [/quote]

                            Yes - I meant "relatively safe."
                            Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: What the heck is Alchemy?

                              Is alchemy a science or a magic? So alchemy is the seperation or use of the body,spirit,and soul? Im still alittle confuzzled. Are thee spirit and soul the ka and ba? If so what is the body? Is thre an ultimate goal to alchemy?
                              Circe

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