The Beginning of Alchemy

Where Alchemy started is a question for which there seems to be no definite answer. When you search for that information, you find various sites that talk about it starting in the Western World in Egypt and Greece, and spread to other countries. It is mentioned that it spread to those countries from India and China, so it seems the oldest known alchemists were Chinese. This is backed by looking up the names of well-known alchemists. You find that the earliest ones listed are from China, and go back as far as the third century BC.


What is Alchemy

Most of us have been told that alchemists were a bunch of crazy people who were trying to change lead, or other base metals, into gold. The World History Encyclopedia backs up that definition by saying that Alchemists tried to change base metals into gold, silver, or gems, using chemistry and something they called the Philosophers Stone. While there were individuals who did try to do that literally—without any success—it is not what true Alchemy is about. Another website has this definition:

Alchemy was an ancient branch of natural philosophy that was historically practiced in various regions, including China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. Alchemistsaimed to purify, transform, and perfect materials. Their pursuits included transmuting base metals, (like lead) into noble metals (especially gold), creating an elixir of immortality, and developing panaceas to cure diseases. The ultimate goal was the perfection of both the human body and soul through the alchemical magnum opus (the ‘Great Work’).

Alchemy in Ancient China

Chinese alchemy boasts a rich history stretching back over two millennia, with a unique focus compared to its Western counterpart. Here’s a deep dive into the fascinating world of Chinese alchemy:

Two Main Branches:
  • Waidan (外丹), meaning “external elixir,” focuses on creating elixirs of immortality through manipulating external substances like minerals, metals, and herbs. Practitioners believed these elixirs could prolong life, grant supernatural abilities, and even achieve physical immortality.
  • Neidan (内丹), meaning “internal elixir,” is a more philosophical and meditative approach. It emphasizes cultivating internal energy (qi) and aligning oneself with the Dao (the natural order of the universe) to achieve spiritual immortality and enlightenment. The body itself becomes the alchemical vessel.
Core Concepts:
  • Yin and Yang: This fundamental principle of balancing opposing forces plays a vital role. Alchemists aimed to achieve harmony between yin and yang within the elixirs or the practitioner’s body for successful transformations.
  • Five Elements: The theory of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water is another cornerstone. These elements were believed to interact and transform, and alchemists sought to understand these processes to influence material transmutation.
Goals and Techniques:
  • Longevity and Immortality: Unlike Western alchemy’s primary focus on gold creation, Chinese alchemy was heavily driven by the desire for a long and healthy life or even physical immortality.
  • Emphasis on Health and Medicine: Many alchemical experiments yielded practical medical discoveries. Techniques like distillation and sublimation led to the creation of medicines and elixirs believed to promote health and longevity.
Comparison with Western Alchemy:
  • Focus on Practical Applications: Chinese alchemy had a stronger emphasis on practical applications like medicine and health, alongside its spiritual goals.
  • Internal vs. External: The concept of Neidan, with its internal cultivation, stands in contrast to the external focus of creating physical elixirs in Western alchemy.
Legacy:

Chinese alchemy’s influence extends far beyond its original goals. It laid the foundation for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and its concepts continue to inspire modern scientific and philosophical explorations in China.

Famous Alchemists from China
  • .Xu Fu (255 BC- 210 BC)
  • Zhang Guo the Elder (c. 600)
  • Zou Yan (305 BC – 240 BC)

Alchemy in Ancient Egypt


The history of alchemy in ancient Egypt is a fascinating blend of practical experimentation and spiritual beliefs. Here’s a breakdown of what we know:

  • Early Practices: While the term  “alchemy” itself comes from Greek, the foundations of alchemical thought likely arose in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Egyptians were skilled metalworkers and developed techniques for dyeing and mummification, hinting at their early grasp of chemical processes.
  • Center of Knowledge: The city of Alexandria became a major hub for alchemical knowledge during the Hellenistic period (323-30 BC). Greek and Egyptian ideas merged, with figures like Hermes Trismegistus (combining the Greek Hermes and Egyptian Thoth) becoming central to alchemical mythology.
  • Goals and Techniques: Egyptian alchemy likely had both practical and mystical aims. Alchemists aimed to create gold, not just for wealth, but perhaps to understand the essence of matter and achieve immortality, mirroring their focus on preserving bodies in the afterlife [5]. Their techniques revolved around fire-based transformations and experimentation with various materials.
  • Legacy: Though their dream of turning lead into gold remained elusive, Egyptian alchemical practices laid the groundwork for later developments in chemistry, medicine, and metallurgy. Their influence spread throughout the ancient world, shaping the course of scientific thought for centuries.

Secrecy and Symbolism: Much of our knowledge comes from later Greek writers, making it difficult to separate fact from fancy. Alchemical texts often used cryptic language and symbols, adding to the mystery.

Overall, ancient Egypt played a crucial role in the birth of alchemy. Their pursuit of material transformation and understanding of natural processes laid the groundwork for scientific exploration in the centuries to come.

Alchemy in Ancient Greece

Alchemy wasn’t a fully formed practice in ancient Greece, but it did have some important Greek connections:

  • Philosophical Foundations: Greek philosophers like Empedocles and Aristotle laid the groundwork for alchemical thought with their ideas about the elements. They proposed that all matter was composed of just four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. This concept of basic building blocks of the universe became a foundation for alchemists’ later ideas about transmuting elements.
  • Terminology: The word “alchemy” itself has Greek roots. The term “chemia” (χημεία), which is related to the word “chemeia” (χυμεία) meaning “to pour” or “to mix,” is believed to be the root of the Arabic word “al-kimia,” which eventually became “alchemy” in English.
  • Influence on Later Alchemy: While the Greeks themselves didn’t practice alchemy in the way we think of it, their ideas and terminology were adopted by later alchemists in the Hellenistic period (323-30 BC), particularly in Alexandria, Egypt. Here, Greek and Egyptian ideas about manipulating matter blended to form a more complete system of alchemical thought.
  • Focus on Metallurgy: Greeks made significant contributions to metalworking, and some of their techniques and knowledge may have been incorporated into early alchemical practices.
  • Limited Scope: There’s no evidence of Greeks specifically aiming to turn lead into gold, a hallmark of later alchemy. Their focus was more on practical applications of manipulating materials.

Overall, while ancient Greece wasn’t the birthplace of alchemy, it provided crucial philosophical concepts and terminology that later alchemists built upon. The true development of alchemy with its mystical and transmutational goals came about in the Hellenistic period, heavily influenced by both Greek and Egyptian ideas.

Famous Alchemists from Greece
  • Agathodaemon
  • Chymes
  • Cleopatra the Alchemist
  • Mary the Jewess
  • Moses of Alexandria
  • Olympiodorus of Thebes (c. 400)
  • Paphnutia the Virgin (c. 300)
  • Pseudo-Aristotle
  • Pseudo-Democritus
  • Stephen of Alexandria

Alchemy in Europe

European alchemy emerged as a fascinating blend of science, philosophy, and mysticism, captivating minds for centuries. It became a major craze in London in the 15 century. Here’s a glimpse into its history:

Roots and Influences:
  • Greco-Egyptian Foundation: European alchemy drew heavily from the Hellenistic world (323-30 BC), particularly Alexandria, Egypt. Here, Greek philosophical ideas about the elements (from Empedocles and Aristotle) merged with Egyptian concepts of manipulating matter.
  • The Hermetic Corpus: A collection of texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus (combining the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth) became central to European alchemy. These texts laid out a philosophical framework for understanding the universe and achieving transformations.
  • Arabic Alchemy: The rise of Islam brought significant advancements in alchemy. Translated Arabic works by scholars like Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber) greatly influenced European alchemists, introducing new techniques and theories.

    Core Goals and Beliefs:
  • The Philosopher’s Stone: The ultimate prize for many European alchemists in the middle ages was the mythical philosopher’s stone, believed to transmute base metals into gold and create an elixir of immortality. This quest fueled countless experiments and fueled the allure of alchemy.
  • Universal Panacea: The philosopher’s stone was often seen as a universal cure for diseases, reflecting the alchemical desire to understand and perfect matter at its core.
Practices and Developments:
  • Laboratory Techniques: European alchemists developed a sophisticated set of laboratory techniques and tools, including distillation, sublimation, and calcination. These methods laid the groundwork for modern chemistry.
  • Secrecy and Symbolism: Alchemical knowledge was often shrouded in secrecy, passed down through cryptic texts and symbols. This added to the mystique and allure of the practice.
The Shift and Legacy:
  • Seeds of Modern Science: While the dream of the literal creation of precious metals remained unfulfilled, the meticulous experimentation of alchemists paved the way for modern scientific methods. Their quest for knowledge laid the groundwork for disciplines like chemistry, physics, and medicine
  • Enduring Fascination: Alchemy’s influence extends beyond science. Its concepts and symbolism continue to inspire artists, writers, and philosophers, keeping the allure of the alchemist alive in popular culture.
Famous Alchemists of Europe
  • Alain de Lille (1115/1128–1202/1203)
  • Albertus Magnus (1193–1280)
  • Roger Bacon (1214–1294)
  • Pseudo-Geber (13th/14th century)
  • Ramon Llull (Raymond Lulli) (1235–1315)
  • John Dastin (early 14th)
  • Arnold of Villanova (1245–?(before 1311))
  • Jean de Meung (c.1250–c.1305)
  • Petrus Bonus (Early 14th century)
  • Ortolanus or Hortulanus (fl. 1358)
  • Jean de Roquetaillade (Johannes de Rupescissa) (died 1336)
  • Gilles de Rais (1401–1440)
  • Bernard Trevisan (Bernard of Treves) (1406–1490)
  • Johann of Laz (15th century)
  • George Ripley (England, 15th century)
  • Thomas Norton (c. 1433–c. 1513)
  • Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516)
  • Johann Georg Faust (ca. 1480–1540)
  • Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535)
  • Paracelsus (1493–1541)
  • Thomas Charnock (1516/1524/1526–1581)
  • François Hotman (1524–1590)
  • John Dee (1527–1609)
  • Isaac Newton – Today revered as the father of modern physics and the inventor of calculus, Newton described a recipe for the Philosophers’ Stone, a legendary substance that reputedly could turn base metals like iron and lead into gold, in an old handwritten manuscript.
  • Robert Boyle, who is considered the founder of modern chemistry was also an alchemist
  • Nicolas Flamel (French: [nikɔla flamɛl]; c. 1330 – 22 March 1418) was a French scribe and manuscript seller. After his death, Flamel developed a reputation as an alchemist.

Summary

As you can see from the above descriptions gathered from various sources, alchemy has a rich and diverse history. The art of alchemy probably started in China and spread from there to India and east to Europe where it was practiced from the 12th century up to the 18th century. The ancient Indian Vedas contain hints of the alchemy practiced there. If it were merely a group of odd individuals trying—and always failing—to turn lead into gold, it would not have spread and attracted such well-known persons as Roger Bacon and Isaac Newton. The real purpose of alchemy was to investigate and promote spiritual development. The Chinese called this Taoist Alchemy. Some of the famous alchemists such as Paracelsus were spiritual teachers and authors of books on spiritual matters. So don’t laugh off alchemy as a foolish pseudoscience with a wish to get rich by turning lead into gold. The lead most alchemists were dealing with is the lead mind of materialistic humans. The gold is the spiritually enlightened person. The real Philosophers’ Stone, like the elixir of life, the fountain of youth, and the holy grail, were allegorical names for the methods used to develop the spirit.

In material science, it was the alchemists who developed some alloys with their experiments with ores and acids. Many other discoveries in chemistry were made by alchemists, although again, real alchemy dealt with the development of the human spirit.