Alchemy in the West

Tertullian, writing in the late second century CE, tells of how a race of giants were born to certain women who had had rela- 

If we conflate these various etymologies, we are left with a word that denotes a likely Egyptian origin, something that involved laboratory procedures, something possibly of divine origin or at least with divinely inspired wisdom, and something that was secret, that was seen to be so precious as to warrant a virtual conspiracy of silence. These associations have remained with alchemy ever since. 

In English, the art was called alcamye or, in Chaucer s spelling, alcamistere, which has variants in alcamystere and alcamystrie, which openly hint that the art was a mystery that kept its secrets. 

The exact beginnings of alchemy are unknown. As with so much of the subject, myth and reality, dreaming and waking, are intertwined it is often impossible to ascertain whether something is true or actually happened . Ancient texts are often incomplete, and what survives tends either to be prosaic lists and remedies on the one hand, or impenetrable allegories and visions intended for the initiate only on the other. 

The Book of Genesis is revered by alchemists, as it describes the creation of the world and the emergence of matter from the Divine, and alchemical operations were seen as this process in miniature. Adam is frequently cited as the first alchemist, and is often regarded as something more than human, almost as one of 

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Irwin, Lee. Daoist alchemy in the West the esoteric paradigms. Esoterica 6 (2004) 31-51. rhttp //www,esoteric. msu.edu/VolumeVl/Dao.html. 

Halleux, Robert. "The reception of Arabic alchemy in the West." In Encyclopedia of the history of Arabic science, eds. Rushdi Rashid and Regis Morelon. London, New York Routledge, 1996. 

Martin, Sean. Alchemy alchemists. Revised updated edition ed. 2001 reprint, Harpenden Pocket Essentials, 2003. 96p. ISBN 1-603047-52-8 Introduction Basic ideas and themes A brief history of alchemy in the West A brief history of alchemy in the East Moden alchemy The Hermetic Museum (brief biographies of more than 100 alchemists) Suggestions for further reading. 

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