Philosophy Now Forum

Alchemy was a practice which served as a vault of wisdom throughout the centuries. Its practitioners were not lunatics as some movies want to portray them, but wise people who knew too much for their time and wished to transmit their knowledge to the initiated. Back then there was respect for knowledge and you had to be worthy to have it. Not like todays “all is free and effortless” days…

This is why they wrote whatever they wrote in code by using obscure language and symbols. The purpose of this thread is to discuss about this very important sector of human knowledge and share opinions on the subject.

I will start by posting Melancholy Ι of Albrecht Dürer.



A mystical engraving depicting a man who – despite his intelligence – cannot reach the so much wished apotheosis. Intelligence on its own does not guarantee the understanding of the mysteries of the universe…

Just to add some more sources...

Here http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/ one can find the alchemical texts of Isaak Newton.

A small part of "Keynes MS. 28, King's College Library, Cambridge University":

Tabula Smaragdina
Hermetis Trismegistri
Philosophorum patris

Tis true without lying, certain & most true.
That which is below is like that which is above & that which
is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one
only thing
And as all things have been & arose from one by the
mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this
one thing by adaptation.
The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind
hath carried it in its belly, the earth is its nourse. The
father of all perfection in the whole world is here. Its
force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtile from
the gross sweetly with great indoustry. It ascends from the
earth to the heaven & again it descends to the earth
& receives the force of things superior & inferior.
By this means you shall have the glory of the whole
world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
Its force is above all force. For it vanquishes every
subtile thing & penetrates every solid thing.
So was the world created.
From this are & do come admirable adaptations
whereof the means (or process) is here in this.



The whole text and images of the document can be found at http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/ ... ALCH00017/.