Difference between revisions of "Alchemy"
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*[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A27&version=KJV James 1:27] | *[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A27&version=KJV James 1:27] | ||
*[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3%3A12-13&version=KJV Revelation 3:12-13] | *[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3%3A12-13&version=KJV Revelation 3:12-13] | ||
− | See [[Kabbalah]]. | + | See [[Kabbalah#Saint Peter|Kabbalah: Saint Peter]]. |
==External links== | ==External links== |
Revision as of 22:22, April 2, 2018
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.
Contents
- 1 Symbolism of alchemy
- 2 Why it failed
- 3 The Alchemy of Christianity
- 3.1 Christian treatises on true alchemy
- 3.2 The true Alchemist
- 3.3 The true Philosopher's Stone
- 3.4 The true Panacea
- 3.5 The true Alkahest
- 3.6 The true Athanor
- 3.7 The true Red Lion
- 3.8 The true White Eagle
- 3.9 The true Heart of Purity
- 3.10 The true Prayer of Preparation for the Magnum Opus
- 3.11 The true Understanding of the Mystery of Transformation
- 3.12 The true Gold of Alchemy
- 3.13 The true Chamber of Alchemical Transformation
- 4 Simplicity of heart
- 5 External links
Symbolism of alchemy
The symbolism of alchemy is rich and employs many western and eastern traditions. Some of the important symbols of alchemy are Solomons seal, the hermaphrodite, and the four Elements of wind, fire, earth and, water. These symbols are said to be from the period of the legendary alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, founder of the Hermetic arts. These and the other symbols of alchemy are regarded as having psychological significance by Carl Jung, contemporary of Sigmund Freud.
Why it failed
- Medieval alchemists wanted to turn lead into gold. It was a fruitless endeavor because they used chemical reactions. Nowadays, we know why: Chemical reactions cannot change one element into another. Only nuclear processes, which involve intense energies not available until the 20th century, can accomplish this.
The Alchemy of Christianity
Christian treatises on true alchemy
According to a multitude of medieval and renaissance Christian philosophical treatises on the allegorical meaning of true alchemy, a prayerful study of the following scriptural texts joined to a humble heart of submission to the Sovereign God through Christ the King, and with a spirit of compassion toward others invoking the prayerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph to God for the gift of a pure heart and mind which only God can bestow, is sufficient for a true knowledge of alchemy.
The true Alchemist
God the Holy Trinity is the Supreme true Alchemist, Who alone fully knows the true الكيمية (Al Kimia), "the art of transformation". (Revelation 21:5)
The true Philosopher's Stone
Christ Jesus is the true philosopher's stone. (Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Psalm 118:22-23)
Touched by him—(Matthew 8:3, 15; 9:20-22, 29-30; 14:36; 17:7-8; 20:34; Mark 1:41-42; 3:10; 5:28-29; 6:56; 7:33-35; 8:22-25; 10:13; Luke 5:13; 6:19; 7:14-15; 18:15 [1] ; 22:51)
Eternal life—(Mark 10:29-30; John 1:1-5; 3:16-21; 6:35-58; 10:27-30; 17:2-3; Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 1 John 2:24-25; 5:11-13, 20; Revelation 22:1-2 the water stone)
The true Panacea
Redemption and Salvation in Christ alone through the mercy of God alone in Baptism, the Eucharist, the Forgiveness of sins and Anointing of the Sick is the true panacea. (Matthew 9:6; 18:18; Mark 6:12-13; John 6:27-69; 20:19-23; James 5:14-16)
The true Alkahest
The Gospel is the true alkahest. (John 8:32 and 36; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; 10:3-5; Hebrews 4:12-13; Revelation 5:9-10; Isaiah 29:11)
The true Athanor
The purging of the soul by the Father is the true athanor. (Jeremiah 23:29; Daniel 3:16-30; Matthew 5:10-12; John 15:1-2 and 6-8; 1 Corinthians 3:10-17; Hebrews 12:1-11; James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 1:3-7; 4:12-14; Revelation 3:19)
—Alternatively, the gentle warmth of God's enveloping love and the exercising of patience by his grace in the willingly cooperative soul is the true athanor. (Job 14:14; Psalm 25:1-5; 37:3-11; 62:5-8; 130:5-6; Proverbs 20:22; Isaiah 40:11, 31; Hosea 12:6; Micah 7:7; Matthew 13:8-9; Mark 4:26-29; Luke 8:15; 12:35-40; 13:6-9; 21;19; John 12:24-25; 15:7-11, 16-17; Acts 1:4-5; Romans 5:3-6; 6:22; 8:22-25; 15:4-6; 2 Corinthians 6:3-10; 9:6-10; Galatians 5:5, 22-24; Ephesians 3:9; 5:8-20; Colossians 1:3-6, 10-12; 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Hebrews 11:1-2, 13-16; 11:39–12:3; James 3:17-18; 5:7-11; 1 Peter 2:19-20; 3:4; Revelation 6:9-11)
The true Red Lion
Christ Jesus himself is the true red lion. (Genesis 49:9-10; Isaiah 31:4; Jeremiah 49:19; Amos 3:8; Revelation 5:5; 19:12-13)
The true White Eagle
The Lord God Himself is the true white eagle. (Exodus 19:4-6; Deuteronomy 32:11-12; Ezekiel 17:1-6; Revelation 12:14)
The true Heart of Purity
The Holy Spirit is the true heart of purity. (Proverbs 8; Matthew 5:8; Luke 11:13; 2 Corinthians 6:6-7; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5-7; James 3:17)
The true Prayer of Preparation for the Magnum Opus
The Holy Spirit is the true soul of prayer to God in preparation for the great work (Latin magnum opus). (Romans 8:26-28; Ephesians 2:10)
The true Understanding of the Mystery of Transformation
The Holy Spirit is the true understanding of the mystery of transformation. (Isaiah 11:2-3; John 15:26; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
The true Gold of Alchemy
The Christian is the true base transformed into the true gold. (Acts 22:16; Romans 8:29-30; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:26-27; Titus 2:3-7; 2 Peter 1:3-11; Revelation 22:14)
The true Chamber of Alchemical Transformation
The Church is the true chamber of alchemical transformation. (1 Corinthians 3:10-17; Ephesians 2:17-22; Hebrews 12:22-24; 1 Peter 2:4-5; Revelation 21:22–22:5)
Simplicity of heart
Alchemical texts offered consolation to those earnest souls who found they had no mind for grasping the profound depths of alchemical studies. The following Bible texts were put forth and recommended for their meditations.
- Psalm 131
- Deuteronomy 29:29
- Wisdom 7:7–9:19
- John 14:23
- Romans 12:16-18
- Colossians 2:2-4; 3:12-17
- 2 Timothy 3:14-17
- Hebrews 13:17
- James 1:27
- Revelation 3:12-13
External links
Roots of Alchemy (esotericonline.net)
History of Alchemy (alchemylab.com)
Alchemy - Religion Facts: Just the facts on religion (religionfacts.com)
- Christian alchemy
Christian Alchemy: Christ the Stone - Alchemy Lab (alchemylab.com) Click on this link, then scroll down to the text.
Kjos Ministries (crossroad.to) - Using Alchemy to Teach Christianity? A chapter by chapter examination of Looking for God in Harry Potter. Author: John Granger, Christian Publisher: Tyndale House (June 2004) Phone: 800-323-9400 The author warns that the Harry Potter books, and John Granger's book, are a deceptive syncretistic blending of occultism, paganism and Christian concepts.
Alchemy - Catholic Encyclopedia/Catholic Answers. article by T. O'Connor Sloane (catholic.com)
Attitude of the Catholic Church Towards Alchemy (alchemywebsite.com) About the 1317 Papal Bull Spondent parater.
Papal Bull Spondent Pariter - Pope John XXII: Angry Chemist! (suburbanbanshee.wordpress.com) —This article includes a literal translation of De crimine falsi (On the Crime of Counterfeiting) also known as Spondent pariter (Guarantees equally or Guaranteed parity) and as Spondent quas non exhibent (Promising what is not forthcoming) - Pope John XXII at Avignon, 1317.
Alchemy in Christian Europe, Tara Nummedal, Department of History, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA - AMBIX, Vol. 60 No. 4, November 2013, 311-322 (tandfonline.com) "In his musings on the Last Days, printed posthumously in Table Talk, Martin Luther turned to the subject of alchemy."- ↑ Luke 18:15 and Mark 10:13 are taken as scriptural support for infant baptism by Catholics and Orthodox, together with Luke 2:22-24 and those texts in the book of Acts which mention whole households being baptized by the apostles of the Lord as most probably having babies in them.