Block, SkipCaptcha, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect
30,891
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − +
added classic definition of "true purpose of alchemy" as found in some alchemical treatises, both ancient and modern
'''Alchemy''' was a precursor to [[chemistry]]. The word is derived from the [[Arabic]] الكيمية (''Al Kimia)'', meaning "the art of transformation". The key pursuit of alchemy was to discover a way to turn lead into gold, known as the philosopher's stone. This was as much a spiritual quest as it was a scientific one. Unbeknownst to alchemists at the time, gold is an [[element]], and therefore cannot be produced by combining any other elements except through fusion.
'''Alchemy''' was a precursor to [[chemistry]]. The word is derived from the [[Arabic]] الكيمية (''Al Kimia)'', meaning "the art of transformation". The key pursuit of alchemy was to discover a way to turn lead into gold, known as the philosopher's stone. This was as much a spiritual quest as it was a scientific one: the transformation of the base metal of the animal man into the pure gold of a son of God. Unbeknownst to alchemists at the time, gold is an [[element]], and therefore cannot be produced by combining any other elements except through fusion.
=== Symbolism of alchemy ===
=== Symbolism of alchemy ===