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[-] soulfirethewolf 65 points 11 months ago

Alchemy isn't even a strictly occult thing. It was something done in the medieval era that was basically a very early form of science before most of the things they were trying to do were considered impossible

[-] EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 23 points 11 months ago

If Jesus really turned water into wine then what would you call that if not alchemy?

[-] Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 11 months ago

That was just good BYOB manners.

[-] neosheo@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 11 months ago

I mean alchemy is an occult practice. It's just history only pays attention to the physical aspects (turning things into gold, etc). Often times the medium to turn a substance into gold is called the philosophers stone

But this is only a portion of it. The philosophers stone in alchemy is actually spiritual enlightenment or becoming one with everything. Hence the concept of turning anything into gold, gold being enlightenment and the universe and the plain material before the transformation is preenlightened individuals. They all become the same (one, gold) after attaining it.

Most alchemical philosophy is occult/spiritual and the chemistry aspects are a metaphor for the evolution of the soul.

I think because modernity is mostly materialist in its philosophy that we ignore the underlying spirituality associated with alchemy

[-] MJKee9@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

"science".... That's just a road to hell with extra steps.

[-] Malgas@beehaw.org 7 points 11 months ago

And, to the extent that it was occult, it was typically biblical occultism. There was a big emphasis on the wisdom of Solomon in particular.

[-] neptune@dmv.social 5 points 11 months ago

The church did frown upon it at the time, if I recall. For example, Newton spent years on alchemy yet that's forgotten

[-] shasta@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Glad he didn't overdose on alchemy

this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2023
877 points (97.3% liked)

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