Desires of an Alchemist




The medieval alchemists pursued three objectives:
• The transmutation of base metals into gold
• The immortality of the soul and spirit
• The creation of artificial life

While many alchemists spent decades trying to turn base metals into gold by means of a vague substance called the Philosopher’s Stone, others, like William Lilly and Nicholas Flamel, pursued the spiritual enlightenment of the soul. While these objectives may seem incompatible or even mutually exclusive, it is important to remember that alchemy was both a philosophy and an experimental science, and the transmutation of the metals enabled the alchemists to try to prove that the Above could be recreated in the Below; in short, recreating heaven on earth and in the soul. We see the genuine scientific spirit in the saying of one of the alchemists: “Would to God . . . all men might become adepts in our Art -- for then gold, the great idol of mankind, would lose its value, and we should prize it only for its scientific teaching.” Unfortunately, however, not many alchemists came up to this ideal; and for the majority of them, alchemy did mean merely the possibility of making gold cheaply and gaining untold wealth.

The third goal of alchemy—the creation of life from nothing—belonged almost entirely to the Islamic alchemists. The alchemists always spoke of their art as a Divine Gift, one whose secrets could not be learned from any book, and could only be achieved by long years of study and devotion. Enlightenment, when and if it came, occurred all at once and without warning. More than one alchemist marveled at how simple the answer was and how long it took them to grasp it. The right mental attitude was the crucial first step to achieving The Great Work (magnum opus), or in other words the search for the Philosopher’s Stone, because alchemy is a three-fold transformation: physical, spiritual and psychological.

“... The essences of metals are hidden in their outward bodies, as the kernel is hidden in the nut. Every earthly body, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, is the habitation and terrestrial abode of that celestial spirit, or influence, which is its principle of life or growth. The secret of Alchemy is the destruction of the body, which enables the Artist to get at, and utilise for his own purposes, the living soul.” This killing of the outward nature of material things was to be brought about by the processes of putrefaction and decay; hence the reason why such processes figure so largely in alchemistic recipes for the preparation of the “Divine Magistery.”

The seeker must enter his studies with a pure heart. Those that fail to do so—to use alchemy for power or financial gain—would never achieve spiritual perfection and immortality. I suspect that this is what happened to Tom Riddle. In his quest for knowledge about the Horcruxes and in his experiments to become immortal, his heart and his motives were not pure. He used his gain to mutilate his soul, an act that went against the laws of nature and of God. And he paid for it. His good looks are gone—not yet snakelike, but only a shadow of what they once were. The outside mirrors the inside. A mutilated and maligned soul cannot be encased in a beautiful package. As we know, the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life were the primary goals of the alchemists. The Philosopher’s Stone was the substance that could turn inexpensive lead into gold and create a universal panacea, a remedy which can cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. The Great Work, or Magnum Opus, refers to the quest for this stone. In addition, making the Philosopher’s Stone was understood to confer a type of initiation upon the student, and this initiation is the proper culmination of the Great Work. The Philosopher’s Stone is a symbol for the journey to enlightenment by breaking down and recombining elements within us.