Alchemy, the Noble Art, conjures up scenes of mysterious, dimly lit laboratories populated with bearded old men stirring cauldrons. Though the history of alchemy is intricately linked to the history of chemistry, alchemy has nonetheless often been dismissed as the realm of myth and magic, or fraud and pseudoscience. And while its themes and ideas persist in some expected and unexpected places, from the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's) Stone of Harry Potter to the self-help mantra of transformation, there has not been a serious, accessible, and up-to-date look at the complete history and influence of alchemy until now.
A concise guide to the history, theory, and practice of alchemy (the “great work”)—the art of working with the energies of nature for spiritual development, healing, and transformation. Alchemy is a means of understanding and working in concert with the energies of nature for spiritual development, healing, and transformation. In this book, Brian Cotnoir offers a step-by-step introduction that explores alchemy’s mysteries while illustrating its use as a modern spiritual system of attainment. He provides an overview of the history of alchemy, from the first meldings of Egyptian technology to the Middle Ages—the golden age of alchemy—to contemporary techniques. He demystifies the relationship between alchemy and chemistry, and provides evidence that alchemy is much more than a medieval form of psychotherapy. The guide also includes practical laboratory experiments that safely and intelligently lead readers to an understanding of this ancient art and spiritual practice. Provides step-by-step instruction for beginning a practice in alchemy Explains the theory underlying the art and science of alchemy and how it works Demystifies the relationship between alchemy and chemistry, while going well beyond the “psychological interpretation” advanced by nonscientists Introduces the practice of alchemy to students of the Western magical arts This book was previously published as The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy. This new edition includes a foreword by Robert Allen Bartlett, author of Real Alchemy.
The contributors to these Proceedings give an unusually comprehensive survey of Indian, Greek, Arabic and European alchemy which will serve as an authoritative scholarly introduction to the subject. An extensive bibliography greatly enhances the value of this rich collection of material.
Taoist techniques for replenishing our internal energy with universal cosmic energy • Shows how to transform excess sexual energy (Ching Chi) into self-healing energy • Presents advanced Cosmic Healing Chi Kung practices, which gather the limitless resources of Cosmic Chi for healing • Explains how opening of the three tan tiens to the six directions allows personal consciousness to connect directly to higher sources of energy Taoists consider our sexual energy to be the creative force that we can use to regenerate the body’s internal energy, but we must learn how to harness excess sexual energy and transform it into chi, or life-force energy. When we circulate the sexual energy in the Microcosmic Orbit--a continuous energy loop that runs up the spine and down the front of the body--we transform it into self-healing energy that can be stored in the organs and the three tan tiens: energy centers in the brain, the heart center, and the lower abdomen. The Alchemy of Sexual Energy builds upon Microcosmic Orbit practices discussed in Healing Light of the Tao. The more we open the flow of our internal energy the more capable we are of connecting to the cosmic energy that exists outside ourselves in the universe. By learning to open the three tan tiens to the six directions, the Taoist practitioner combines mind power with extension of chi to draw cosmic energy into the body. This energy, too, can be stored in the three tan tiens and used as needed for healing. When we learn to flow in this way with the energy of the Tao, life ceases to be a struggle.
More than magic... Where else can one combine chemistry and philosophy to turn base metal into gold while discovering a magical elixir to prolong life? Here's a simple and straightforward guide to alchemy that explains its basic principles. Written by one of the world's few practicing alchemists, it's a concise reference guide that provides easy-to-follow information so that anybody can be a wizard-in-training.
The magic and mystery of the ancient craft revealed for a new, modern age It's completely understandable if you're in the dark about alchemy. It has been practiced around the world and linked to various religious rites, scientific experiments, and of course, magic—a series of beliefs and disciplines that defy categorization and definition. The Awakened Life: Alchemy demystifies this ancient art with an easy-to-understand overview of its history, philosophies, and practices.This new edition, published over a decade after the original, offers even more essential information and tools. In it, you'll find: The basic principles of alchemy--including the Three Essentials that are present in all things The alchemist's code--ciphers, signs, symbols, and sacred geometry A list of tonics, elixirs, and other alchemical medicines An explanation on the three stages of alchemical transformation A look at the relationship between alchemy and science A focus on how to trigger personal transformation using the psychological and spiritual techniques of alchemy It's time to apply these powerful principles to your life to gain increased energy, awareness, and understanding!
“May this very important and enticing book find its way into the hearts of readers near and far so that it can perform its mysterious and healing alchemy for the benefit of all.” —John Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are and Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School The Transformative Power of Mindfulness Alchemists sought to transform lead into gold. In the same way, says Tara Bennett-Goleman, we all have the natural ability to turn our moments of confusion or emotional pain into insightful clarity. Emotional Alchemy maps the mind and shows how, according to recent advances in cognitive therapy, most of what troubles us falls into ten basic emotional patterns, including fear of abandonment, social exclusion (the feeling that we don’t belong), and vulnerability (the feeling that some catastrophe will occur). This remarkable book also teaches us how we can free ourselves of such patterns and replace them with empathy for ourselves and others through the simple practice of mindfulness, an awareness that lets us see things as they truly are without distortion or judgment. Emotional Alchemy provides an insightful explanation of how mindfulness can change not only our lives, but the very structure of our brains, giving us the freedom to be more creative and alive. Here is a beautifully rendered work full of Buddhist wisdom and stories of how people have used mindfulness to conquer their self-defeating habits. The result is a whole new way of approaching our relationships, work, and internal lives.
Just like master scientists use principles of physics to transform energy into extraordinary displays of power, alchemical leaders use metaphysical principles to transform resources into results that exceed norms and expectations. Grounded squarely in data, and anchored deeply in universal wisdom, The Alchemy of Power reveals: what power is what it means to have it how to develop and manage it how to navigate the global call for leaders to use their power to create a better world by developing better workplaces. The Alchemy of Power is rich with information and inspiration that connects studies on leadership, with emergent global trends, and with ageless metaphysical teachings—and ties it all to what’s on leaders’ minds and desktops right now. Written by a seasoned leadership and cultural consultant who has trekked the globe exploring world philosophies and spiritual practices, The Alchemy of Power is about increasing your capacity for causing results that amount to much more than the sum of parts—leadership alchemy.
The Aspiring Adept presents a provocative new view of Robert Boyle (1627-1691), one of the leading figures of the Scientific Revolution, by revealing for the first time his avid and lifelong pursuit of alchemy. Boyle has traditionally been considered, along with Newton, a founder of modern science because of his mechanical philosophy and his experimentation with the air-pump and other early scientific apparatus. However, Lawrence Principe shows that his alchemical quest--hidden first by Boyle's own codes and secrecy, and later suppressed or ignored--positions him more accurately in the intellectual and cultural crossroads of the seventeenth century. Principe radically reinterprets Boyle's most famous work, The Sceptical Chymist, to show that it criticizes not alchemists, as has been thought, but "unphilosophical" pharmacists and textbook writers. He then shows Boyle's unambiguous enthusiasm for alchemy in his "lost" Dialogue on the Transmutation and Melioration of Metals, now reconstructed from scattered fragments and presented here in full for the first time. Intriguingly, Boyle believed that the goal of his quest, the Philosopher's Stone, could not only transmute base metals into gold, but could also attract angels. Alchemy could thus act both as a source of knowledge and as a defense against the growing tide of atheism that tormented him. In seeking to integrate the seemingly contradictory facets of Boyle's work, Principe also illuminates how alchemy and other "unscientific" pursuits had a far greater impact on early modern science than has previously been thought.
