Introduction

My initiation into alchemy came while I was attending the University of Vienna. I had gone there to study mathematics in the tradition of the Viennese logician Kurt Godel. However, within three months of my arrival, I was sidetracked into studying a much older tradition.

Four hundred years earlier, Vienna and nearby Prague were at the heart of European alchemy, and hundreds of alchemists flocked to the area to study. I was unaware of Vienna’s rich alchemical tradition until one day when I stumbled into a basement room in the university library that was full of old alchemy books.

The German and Latin manuscripts were in antique typesetting that was very difficult to read, but the drawings in those books were strangely profound and resonated deeply with me in ways I could not put into words. All I knew was that whatever was going on in those drawings was more real than anything that was going on in my life at the time, and I wanted to be part of it.

I resolved to learn as much as I could about alchemy and began translating the old manuscripts I found in Vienna and Prague. My research led me to even larger collections of alchemy books in Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. Finally, an Italian friend directed me to Merus Favilla, a practicing alchemist living in Prague who occasionally took on new students.

After some painstaking negotiations, Merus agreed to take me as a student. Every Wednesday for over a year, I took the train from Vienna to Prague to be initiated into the mysteries of the ancient craft. The cost of my weekly tuition was a carton of Camel cigarettes for my master and a box of Mozart Balls (chocolates) for his wife.

I learned much during my strange apprenticeship in Prague—mostly about the hidden signatures and correspondences of things. But the most important thing I learned was that the real trick to grasping alchemy was making it come alive within me. As the German alchemist Gerhardt Dorn once put it: “You must transmute yourselves from dead stones into living Philosophical Stones.”

Unlike academic disciplines, alchemy can actually take root in you and grow into something that is more than the sum of its parts. This is when the true secret teachings of alchemy begin and when the magic happens. There is some sort of energetic connection to the principles of alchemy that is very empowering. True alchemists know exactly what I am talking about, and I hope you will, too, by the time you are done with this book.

The objective of this book is to teach you the alchemists’ coded language so you can appreciate and work with the ancient wisdom they have passed down to us. For my part, I promise to be honest and direct, with no unnecessary secrecy, no pompous theorizing, and no special allegiance to any particular tradition or organization. My focus in this book is to help you understand the principles of alchemy and apply them in practical ways in the modern world.

So let your apprenticeship begin with this book. All you have to do is assume the role of a “complete idiot” and become an empty vessel. Forget everything you thought you knew about alchemy and alchemists. You are now at the beginning of a new path toward enlightenment. And don’t worry—you have everything you need hidden away inside you. Just come as you are.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into six sections:

Part 1, “Introduction to Alchemy,” traces the roots of alchemy into the distant past and shows how the discipline developed from the mythic writings of godlike beings into the practical treatises of the Alexandrian alchemists. From alchemy’s origins in ancient Egypt to the founding of the Great Library, the basic tenets of alchemy were well developed long before the heyday of the medieval alchemists.

Part 2, “The Principles of Alchemy,” takes a look at the fundamental concepts of alchemy and traces their development in the Hermetic arts, philosophy, religion, psychology, and other traditions down through the last 5,000 years. We’ll also decipher the coded language the alchemists used to describe their work to other alchemists.

Part 3, “The Operations of Alchemy,” reveals the secret processes alchemists used to transform substances in their work. These fundamental operations worked not only in the practical work in the lab but also on the mental and spiritual levels.

Part 4, “Practical Alchemy,” focuses on what went on in the alchemist’s workshop. We learn exactly how the alchemists made their tonics, tinctures, and elixirs and how they worked with the metals to transform lead into gold.

Part 5, “Spiritual Alchemy,” looks within to see how alchemical principles work to transform the hidden essences of soul into the pure light of spirit. We also investigate the mysterious connection between the spiritual work and the success of alchemical experiments.

Part 6, “Modern Alchemy,” looks at alchemy in the world today. We discover how alchemical principles are being applied in our everyday life in the workplace, in personal relationships, and in society in general. We also investigate the amazing similarities between the concepts of alchemists and those of modern scientists.

You’ll also find two helpful appendixes: a list of resources that includes recommended books, alchemy websites and organizations, and sources for herbs and laboratory supplies; and a glossary of words and terms used by alchemists to help in your understanding of alchemy.

A Note About Style

Following the style of the alchemists, major philosophical concepts are capitalized to differentiate them from more mundane meanings. For example, “sulfur” refers to the flammable yellow chemical also known as brimstone, while “Sulfur” refers to the underlying principle of fire, passion, and energy that the alchemists associated with that substance. Similarly, the terms “Above” and “Below” are philosophical concepts related to our ideas of heaven and Earth.

Guideposts Along the Way

A variety of special sidebars are scattered throughout this book to elaborate on the text and help you understand the material better.

Check these boxes for definitions of words and terms that may be unfamiliar to you.

TREAD CAREFULLY

Here you’ll find cautions and information about misconceptions in both the practical and spiritual work in alchemy.

THOTH’S TIPS

Thoth, the father of alchemy, offers tips, shortcuts, suggestions, and sources of more information to enhance your understanding of alchemy.

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the International Alchemy Guild (IAG) for allowing me access to their extensive archives and graphics files in the preparation of this work. I am also forever indebted to Merus Favilla for his loving initiation into the secrets of the craft.

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Random House LLC cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.