The History of Alchemy

Whether regarded as a science or philosophy, chemical science provided the beginnings for chemistry and the basis for new-fangled lab proficiencys. Alchemists believed that the secrets of nature could be revealed through laboratory experiment and examination and they successfully revealed some(prenominal) of those secrets. chemical science is defined as the process of taking something habitual and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in a way that can non be explained. (YourDictionary.com) This definition, though true, does not hug all that chemistry is more or less. Alchemy also involved the brain of transforming ones spirit. If one could learn how to sick gold, one could use the technique to purify the human mind (Thelemapedia: The Encyclopedia of Thelema & Magick).\nAlchemy offshoot developed independently in both Egypt and China. In China, the creators of interpersonal chemistry were Taoist monks. Consequently, Chinese alchemy was based on Taoist belie fs and practices. Wei Po-Yang is credited with the foundation of Chinese alchemy. The Chinese unproblematic finishing of alchemy was not the novelty of base metals into gold. When alchemy began in China, the vocalize for gold was not yet a word in the Chinese language. The primary goal of Chinese alchemy was to discover the elixir of liveliness, a substance that when ingested, brings eternal life. In Chinese alchemy compute techniques were in force(p) with the purpose of manipulating ones life force and prolonging life. Minerals and plants were also ingested for the equivalent purpose. Alchemy spread to India from China. The Indians practiced alchemy in the selfsame(prenominal) fashion as the Chinese ( The Magic and Myth of Alchemy).\nBy around the 4th one C BCE in Egypt, there was a basic practice of alchemy in place. It was practiced by the priestly class. Alexandria was the center of alchemic knowledge. Most information about early alchemy in Egypt has been lost due to their library in Alexandria being burned-over when the Christians invaded. (The Magic and...