Explore Alchemy

Alchemy can be as elusive as mercury, one of the chief materials that it uses. Like quicksilver, it has a shape-shifting nature, and cannot easily be pinned down to one fixed interpretation. Whatever form it takes, however, the alchemical process is one in which transformation plays a key role, and in the best traditions, this involves the soul of the alchemist as well as the material in the alchemical vessel. In Explore Alchemy , Cherry Gilchrist shows how alchemy has been at the heart of human wisdom from Taoist sages, through medieval Arabic magi, to heretical monks, twentieth century psychologists and modern day practitioners of the tradition. She reveals how alchemy has manifested in various ways, such as the distillation of alcohol, the invention of baroque music and the musical language of Monteverdi, the works of William Shakespeare, and the scientific insights of Sir Isaac Newton and his contemporary Robert Boyle. She provides a concise yet comprehensive guide to the complex wisdom of the alchemists.