Real Alchemy: A Primer of Practical Alchemy - Softcover

Bartlett, Capt. Robert Allen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0892541504 ISBN 13: 9780892541508

Verlag: Hays (Nicolas) Ltd ,U.S., 2009

Inhaltsangabe

A ground-breaking modern manual on an ancient art, Real Alchemy draws on both modern scientific technology and ancient methods. A laboratory scientist and chemist, Robert Allen Bartlett provides an overview of the history of alchemy, as well as an exploration of the theories behind the practice. Clean, clear, simple, and easy to read, Real Alchemy provides excellent directions regarding the production of plant products and transitions the reader-student into the basics of mineral work--what some consider the true domain of alchemy. New students to practical laboratory alchemy will enjoy reading Real Alchemy and hopefully find the encouragement needed to undertake their own alchemical journey. Bartlett also explains what the ancients really meant when they used the term "Philosopher's Stone" and describes several very real and practical methods for its achievement. Is the fabled Philosopher's Stone an elixir of long life or is it a method of transforming lead into gold? Judge for yourself.

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Robert Allen Bartlett is one of the few practicing modern-day alchemist's of our time. Continuing the time-honored traditions of Paracelsus and his pursuit of superior medicines gleaned from Nature herself, Robert is devoted to the pursuit of alchemical knowledge and making it's benefits available to the world. He lectures and teaches this "celestial agriculture," making it easy to understand and enabling the average person to create their own unique remedies at home through the workings of the herbal kingdom. He is an instructor of spagyrics at Flamel College Online at www.alchemylab.com.

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A ground-breaking modern manual on an ancient art, Real Alchemy draws on both modern scientific technology and ancient methods. A laboratory scientist and chemist, Robert Allen Bartlett provides an overview of the history of alchemy, as well as an exploration of the theories behind the practice. Clean, clear, simple, and easy to read, Real Alchemy provides excellent directions regarding the production of plant products and transitions the reader-student into the basics of mineral workawhat some consider the true domain of alchemy.

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Real Alchemy

A Primer of Practical Alchemy

By Robert Allen Bartlett

Nicolas Hays, Inc.

Copyright © 2007 Robert Allen Bartlett
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-89254-150-8

Contents

Preface to the Ibis Press Edition by Brian Cotnoir
Foreword by Dennis William Hauck
Preface to the First Edition by Robert Allen Bartlett
Introduction: Practical Alchemy
One: A Brief History of Alchemy
Two: Theory of Alchemy
Three: Astrology and Alchemy
Four: Introduction to Laboratory Alchemy
Five: Alchemical Processes
Six: Herbal Alchemy
Seven: Water Works
Eight: Return to the Fire
Nine: Qabalah and Alchemy
Ten: Introduction to Mineral and Metallic Works
Eleven: Via Humida
Twelve: Concerning The Minerals
Thirteen: Via Humida, Part Two
Fourteen: Via Sicca
Fifteen: Antimony
Sixteen: The Seed of Metals
Seventeen: The Philosopher's Stone
Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography

CHAPTER 1

A Brief History of Alchemy

The origins of alchemy are lost in history and theories abound as towhere it might have originated:

• God taught it to Adam and later to Moses.

• Fallen Angels taught it to human women in exchange for sex.

• It is a remnant of lost Atlantean technology.

• Extraterrestrials taught it to our ancestors.

Whatever its true origin is, recorded history documents an esoterictradition that has existed for several thousand years.

Mystery and magic permeate all that is ancient Egypt. From beginningto end, Egypt has been called a theocratic state, ruled by a very powerfulpriesthood. The priesthood was divided into various castes, each withspecific duties -- such as scribes and astronomers. Of special interest to usare the priests, who worked with materials in ways we might describetoday as chemistry. These priests, often working under an oath of secrecyregarding their art, developed skills in metallurgy, ceramics, medicine,mummification, and winemaking, to name just a few.

The study of the operative forces at work in the universe was theprimary goal of the priesthood. They called these forces the "Neteru"from which we obtain our word, "Nature." The Neteru are the forces ofNature.

From the small number of writings which remain to us, it is apparentthat these priests were skilled healers who possessed a materials science,much of which is still a mystery to us. There were always two parts tothese sciences -- one was mental/spiritual and the other physical. Forexample, the preparation of a medicine included the processing of amaterial accompanied by certain words, spells, incantations or rituals.And in prescribing, the patient was given the medicine with instructionsto repeat a spell or prayer. The proper timing of these things was equallyimportant.

In the Egyptian Mysteries, Man was composed of various spiritual andmental components as well as the physical component and each had itsproper "medicine."

These Secret Sciences advanced over time and tales of wondroushealing oils, life-giving potions, and imitations of gold and preciousstones have survived even to our day.

When ancient tomb robbers would plunder a pharaoh's tomb, theseprecious oils were one of the first things to be stolen. They wereconsidered to be as precious as gold and easier to carry and sell. Stolengold was heavy and had to be melted down before you could sell it.

When Alexander the Great arrived in Egypt around 300 B.C.E., he fellin love with the whole culture, and the Egyptians welcomed him withopen arms. This began the so-called Greco-Egyptian or Ptolemaic periodof Egyptian history. The Greeks called Egypt Khem or Khemet. Thisliterally meant "The Black Land" and is in reference to the thick layer ofdark fertile soil deposited by the annual flooding of the Nile. Knowledgeof Egyptian Secret Sciences made its way into Greece where it wascalled Khemia "The Black Art" and spawned a long line of Greekalchemists.

In Egypt, Alexander initiated a sweeping campaign of construction andrestoration, including the city named after him -- Alexandria. The GreatLibrary of Alexandria is legendary. It has been estimated that this librarycontained nearly a million volumes of the collected writings of the knownworld. Scholars from everywhere flocked to Alexandria and it became amelting pot of ideas and philosophies. If is here that the HermeticPhilosophy and alchemy congealed as a Path to Spiritual Attainment andits secrets were only revealed to initiates under an oath of silence.

By around 30 B.C.E., the Roman legions had swept the world and thelast of the Egyptian Ptolemies had fallen to Roman rule. During thisinsurgence, a very large part of the Great Library was destroyed by fire.Initially, Rome was tolerant of Egyptian ways. In fact, the worship of Isisspread well into the Roman world with temples in Rome itself. As theearly Roman Emperors became converted to Christianity, this level oftolerance dropped off.

In 290 C.E., the Emperor Diocletian feared that the influx of imitationgold produced by the Egyptian Art could disrupt the Roman economy.Fearing also that it would allow someone to gather enough wealth to forman army which could move against Rome, Diocletian passed an edictcalling for the destruction of all texts and materials dealing with themanufacture of gold and precious stones. This order was carried out withgreat severity.

Great masses of information were indiscriminately destroyed as well aswhat remained of The Great Library. In 325 C.E., Rome officiallybecame Christian and in 391 the Emperor Theodosius made heresypunishable by death and ordered the destruction of pagan temples. In theRoman world, which at the time covered quite a large area, you wereeither a Christian or you were exiled or killed.

Most of those practicing the Hermetic Philosophy fled the country andmigrated east to Arab lands not occupied by Rome. The early PersianCaliphs were much more hospitable to the alchemists and the center ofThe Art shifted there, although in a much more guarded capacity. It washere that the Arabic prefix Al was added to the Greek Khemia to giveus Al-Khemia, later to become Alchemy.

Scientific pursuits in early Christian Rome became dormant forcenturies.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the "civilized world" was thrown intochaos. Thus began "The Dark Ages."

Beginning with the Islamic invasions around 800 C.E., knowledge ofalchemy spread into Western Europe, largely through the works of IbnSinna (also known as Avicenna.) He formulated a medical system thatwas popular for several centuries. Another was Abu Musa Jabir ibnHayaan. Jabir had a very cryptic style of writing, designed to concealalchemical secrets. It is from his name that we derive our wordfor Gibberish. They collected many of the ancient Egyptian and Greekalchemical works and translated them into Arabic, which were latertranslated into Latin in Europe.

In Medieval...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Hays (Nicolas) Ltd ,U.S.
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0892541504
• ISBN 13: 9780892541508
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 3
• Anzahl der Seiten: 224
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Buchpark GmbH; gpsr@buchpark.de; ; Krügerweg 1; Trebbin; Brandenburg; 14959; Deutschland