Mystery glows in the rose bed and the secret is hidden in the rose
February 1, 2007 2:59 PM   Subscribe

Alchemy
posted by caddis (22 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
So uh, how do they deal with the whole not-working aspect of alchemy...
posted by phrontist at 3:01 PM on February 1, 2007


they teach the controversy, phrontist. obviously.
posted by paul_smatatoes at 3:14 PM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]


Sure, alchemy works. All you need is a particle accelerator. Those are easy to get, right?
posted by Drunken_munky at 3:15 PM on February 1, 2007


phrontist, most people nowadays who call themselves alchemists view alchemy as a spiritual pursuit: turning the lead of human nature into gold.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:22 PM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]


phrontist: "So uh, how do they deal with the whole not-working aspect of alchemy..."

Go read some Alastair Crowley and then get back to us on that.
posted by koeselitz at 3:29 PM on February 1, 2007


Somehow the fact that they hold their conference in Vegas, kind of casts the whole thing in a cheesey light. I know, a conference room is a conference room, but where's the romance, where's the mystery? If Saint Germain were still dead, he'd be rolling in his grave.
posted by doctor_negative at 3:42 PM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]


The Archives are huge even in terms of the largest Internet corporate or government sites. It will take from 6 days to 4 weeks of continuous around-the-clock downloading (depending on your connection speed) to copy all the files. Because new files are constantly being added, and these original files will always be available to members, you can save yourself a lot of time and disk space by doing your research and printing online, rather than downloading files.

The Archives are already larger than the ancient Library of Alexandria and contain many of the same manuscripts. Part of the charter requirements of the Guild is to preserve these documents in electronic form for future generations. Help us in this work by uploading your files and adding your own hermetic writings to this growing collection



While the site offers little in the way of instant gratification to non-members, one has to be impressed at such a stupendously large collection of files. :-)
posted by notmtwain at 3:50 PM on February 1, 2007


Damn it caddis, I was just getting ready to do a FPP on alchemy. Well played sir.

And Drunken_munky is right. Alchemy is actually possible today, the problem is that the costs of doing it outweigh the minuscule quantities that are transmutated.

I remember when I was in an astronomy class in college, we discussed the fusion aspects of stars. Unfortunately I don't remember if they continue fusion beyond helium (something in my head says that they do, but most never get past iron, but that could just be my stress addled brain making shit up again.)

It just always amused me to think that people who had dedicated their lives to turning something into something else, were being shown down upon by the very engine they sought to build.
posted by quin at 4:13 PM on February 1, 2007


I did a paper on alchemy in one of my history classes. Some of the texts were really fascinating... the had metaphors upon metaphors...
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 4:15 PM on February 1, 2007


quin
posted by Eideteker at 4:27 PM on February 1, 2007


Good to see the Elric brothers are having the same effect that Scotty did with engineers.
posted by First Post at 4:57 PM on February 1, 2007


As I understand it, the old school alchemists spent little time with failed chemistry experiments (although they did learn something). Rather, their true goal was a philosophical alchemy, the transmutation of the human spirit. However, kings are not going to pay for you to become transcendent, so the idea is to appeal to greed, then putter about in the basement, produce a few foul smells, and bail when the time is ripe.
posted by adipocere at 5:02 PM on February 1, 2007


This is the kind of thing that makes me love MeFi. Good post! Good (if sparse) discussion!
posted by everichon at 5:06 PM on February 1, 2007


aleister smartass
posted by gorgor_balabala at 5:51 PM on February 1, 2007 [1 favorite]


quin: Unfortunately I don't remember if they continue fusion beyond helium (something in my head says that they do, but most never get past iron, but that could just be my stress addled brain making shit up again.)

Yes, that's right. The reason stars generally stop fusing materials at iron is because iron is right at the peak of elemental binding energies, and fusing it (or anything more massive) is actually endothermic.

Although IIRC some stars can generate elements higher than iron via mechanisms like the s-process.
posted by Mitrovarr at 6:11 PM on February 1, 2007


The Nova show about Isaac Newton's passion for alchemy and his alchemical experiments is fascinating.

William Newman, professor of History and Philosophy of Science "is deciphering Isaac Newton's chymical laboratory notebooks and manuscripts" and replicating Newton's alchemy experiments!

In 1936, the world of Isaac Newton scholarship received a rude shock. In that year the venerable auction house of Sotheby's released a catalogue describing three hundred twenty-nine lots of Newton's manuscripts, mostly in his own handwriting, of which over a third were filled with content that was undeniably alchemical. These manuscripts, which had been labeled "not fit to be printed" upon Newton's death in 1727, raised a host of interesting questions in 1936 as they do even today.

The meaning of the rose symbol in alchemy. Rosicrucian.

Another alchemist of note, Giordano Bruno.

There are some other alchemy sites on the web with galleries of beautiful images.

Transmution via Stephen Hawking Universe Google Video.
posted by nickyskye at 6:14 PM on February 1, 2007


After reading this post I now have a desire to listen to this (specifically this).
posted by Rhomboid at 6:48 PM on February 1, 2007


Awesome, thanks Eideteker and Mitrovarr. It's nice to know that some of my schooling stuck with me after all these years.
posted by quin at 6:57 PM on February 1, 2007


I always thought the best thing about alchemy was the secretness of it and the antiquated opening an old attic or vault and discovering something rare and magical part.

But that Flash intro was designed by looosers for looosers

That's NOT the alchemy I love.

And it sure as hell ain't happening in Vegas.

Cairo maybe. Damascus - to be sure. Possibly in an old woman's rose garden by the sea in southeastern England.

But not Vegas!
posted by django_z at 7:40 PM on February 1, 2007


Sure, alchemy works. All you need is a particle accelerator. Those are easy to get, right?

Not with the shit they've got listed in the catalog.
posted by c13 at 4:00 AM on February 2, 2007


For those that are interested, there is plenty more alchemical goodness at the Internet Sacred Text Archives. The Emerald Tablet in particular remains a cornerstone of hermetic philosophy.
posted by malocchio at 10:21 AM on February 2, 2007


Mitrovarr writes "Yes, that's right. The reason stars generally stop fusing materials at iron is because iron is right at the peak of elemental binding energies, and fusing it (or anything more massive) is actually endothermic.

"Although IIRC some stars can generate elements higher than iron via mechanisms like the s-process."


Naturally occurring elements heavier than nickel are produced in supernovae. They're hot!
posted by mr_roboto at 11:29 AM on February 2, 2007


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