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Alchemy
Alchemy (from which was derived the modern science of
Chemistry) examines the physical universe and the idea that substances can be broken down and rearranged into new substances. Philosophers and Magicians had long worked on the premise of
‘As above, so below’ to explain mystical and material phenomena. So, it seemed to them that if matter can be broken down and reformed, then it should be possible to breakdown gross substance and reform it into superior forms. Hence the preoccupation of alchemists was often in trying to turn lead into gold. It is interesting to note that
Edward Kelly’s motivation for teeming up with
John Dee (which led to the development of
Enochian Magic) was that Kelly has apparently been given a red powder that turned lead into gold and he was looking for more of it!!!
Philosophically, then, by extrapolation it can be argued that gross human existence can be broken down and turned into an existence of perfection; much of what psycho-therapy attempts to do today. The metaphor was not lost on
Carl Jung!
