Best Books about Alchemy
Ranked #1,667 in Culture & Society, #39,000 overall
Alchemy: what science has to say about this philosophy
With special thanks to Prof. Wouter Hanegraaff; Prof. Joscelyn Godwin; Prof. Nicolas Goodrick-Clarke; Dr. Richard Smoley & Govert Schuller for creating the list in 2009. (Their full qualifications are at the bottom of this lens)
The books on this list are ordered from 'must read' to 'very informative'.
Shown here is The Golden Game: Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century
The Golden Game: Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century
De Rola and Stanislas Klossowski
The Golden Game: Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century
Amazon Price: $138.00 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $27.50
The Golden Builders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, and the First Freemasons
Tobias Churton about the Hermetic current
- Part 1 presents a broad survey of Hermetic ideas and their transmission from Hellenistic Alexandria to the time of Paracelsus.
- Part 2 focuses on the Rosicrucian movement as a vehicle of these Hermetic ideas.
- Part 3 concentrates mainly on Elias Ashmole: the English polymath, antiquarian, collector, alchemist, astrologer, and early Freemason. He's the one after whom the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is named, and one of many Renaissance figures who carried the Hermetic current forward.
The Golden Builders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, First Freemasons
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $18.95
Includes reference to that most illusive of occult myths: the Templers and their relationship to Freemasonry.
Kindle edition
A recommended reading list
Alchemy is a notoriously difficult subject to crack. All those symbols... and text written to hide the real meaning from the uninitiated (and the inquisition).
So expect to be bewildered... though of course most of these books were written to help us understand, not hide the truth.
The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton
Stanton Linden
The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton
Amazon Price: $29.00 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $35.99
Quest for the Phoenix
Spiritual Alchemy and Rosicrucianism in the Work of Count Michael Maier
Quest for the Phoenix: Spiritual Alchemy and Rosicrucianism in the Work of Count Michael Maier (1569-1622) (Arbeiten Zur Kirchengeschichte)
Amazon Price: $138.00 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $142.00
Used Price: $250.77
Editors at Amazon say:
Tilton Hereward presents an intellectual biography of the Lutheran alchemist Count Michael Maier, along with an academic study of western esotericism in general and of alchemy and rosicrucianism in particular. Hereward charts the development of Maier's Hermetic worldview in the context of his service at the courts of Emperor Rudolf II and Moritz of Hessen-Kassel. The problem of the nature of early Rosicrucianism is addressed in detail, with reference to Maier's role in the promotion of this "serious jest" in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. The work is set in the context of ongoing debates concerning the nature of early modern alchemy and its role in the history of Western esotericism.
The Magus of Freemasonry: The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole
Scientist, Alchemist, and Founder of the Royal Society
The Magus of Freemasonry: The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole--Scientist, Alchemist, and Founder of the Royal Society
Amazon Price: $4.98 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $16.95
Elias Ashmole is the only known link between operative freemasonry and symbolic freemasonry. That is: he links the freemasons who were actual stone workers with the freemasons of the secret society who busy themselves with symbolic rituals.
Cotnoir, Brian Alchemy
Brian Cotnoir's contribution to The Weiser Concise Guide Series
Brian Cotnoir offers a detailed, step-by-step introduction of Alchemy that explores its mysteries while illustrating its use as a modern spiritual system of attainment. He provides an overview of the history of Alchemy, from the first meldings of Egyptian technology, through the Middle Ages--the golden age of alchemy--right up to contemporary techniques. He demystifies the relationship between Alchemy and chemistry, and he provides evidence to detractors that Alchemy is much more than a medieval form of psychotherapy.
The guide includes practical laboratory experiments that safely, and intelligently, lead readers to an understanding of this ancient art and spiritual practice.
The Weiser Concise Guide to Alchemy (The Weiser Concise Guide Series)
Amazon Price: $7.84 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $12.95
Available on Kindle
Alchemy & Chemistry - about strange beginnings
Alchemy books: making sense of apparent non-sense
What's even less known than this, is that alchemy was practiced by most scientists of the day. Newton was, aside from discovering the law of gravity, a deeply religious man and into alchemy.
The Chemical Philosophy
Allen G. Debus
The chemical philosophy: Paracelsian science and medicine in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Amazon Price: $103.95 (as of 02/13/2012)
Used Price: $103.95
The Chemical Promise
Experiment and Mysticism in the Chemical Philosophy, 1550-1800
The Chemical Promise: Experiment and Mysticism in the Chemical Philosophy, 1550-1800 - Selected Essays of Allen G. Debus
Amazon Price: $89.95 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $89.95
Yeats and Alchemy
William T. Gorski
In this book the specifically alchemical symbolism of William Butler Yeats are traced from his first essays and Golden Dawn transcripts.
Yeats and Alchemy (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)
Amazon Price: $48.88 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $50.50
Used Price: $42.99
Stairway to Heaven
Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation
Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation
Amazon Price: $58.94 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $26.95
Alchemy and Early Modern Chemistry
Debus, Allen G.
Alchemy and Early Modern Chemistry: Papers from Ambix
Amazon Price: $106.87 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price:
Used Price: $106.87
The Path of Alchemy
Energetic Healing & the World of Natural Magic
The Path of Alchemy: Energetic Healing & the World of Natural Magic (Pathways to Enlightenment)
Amazon Price: $10.64 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $16.95
Used Price: $7.93
Available on Kindle
The Sacrificial Body And the Day of Doom
Alchemy And Apocalyptic Discourse in the Protestant Reformation
The Sacrificial Body And the Day of Doom: Alchemy And Apocalyptic Discourse in the Protestant Reformation (Aries Book Series)
Amazon Price: $161.40 (as of 02/13/2012)
List Price: $175.00
Used Price: $223.60
The Theosophical Library at Wheaton Ill. would like to buy these books
Learn more about Alchemy as a spiritual practice
- Alchemy - Theosophical History
- Especially in its early history, alchemy is difficult to distinguish from its more legitimate cousin, chemistry. Only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries does the modern science definitively part ways with the ancient pseudo-science.
- Alchemy in the Nineteenth Century- H.P. Blavatsky Collected Writings, vol. 11
- Before Alchemy existed as a science, its quintessence alone acted in nature's correlations (as indeed it still does) and on all its planes. When there appeared on earth men endowed with a superior intelligence, they allowed it to act, and from it they learned their first lessons.
- Cornelius Agrippa - Theosophical History
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, 1486-1535, German mystic and alchemist. Agrippa of Nettesheim was born of a once-noble family near Cologne, and studied both medicine and law there, apparently without taking a degree.
- Harry Potter and the Perennial Quest By Helene Vachet
- The title of the first Potter book, as originally published in Great Britain, was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. To a student of the Kabbalah, Jungian psychology, or alchemy, the significance is obvious. The philosopher's stone was understood by the uninitiated as merely a device to turn base metals into gold and to make an elixir that gave everlasting life. However, to a student of alchemy, the philosopher's stone is a metaphor for turning our base, physical natures into our more spiritual selves. In other words, it is a tool for self-actualization, union with the Higher Self, the beatific vision.
Books about alchemy on eBay
For easier books about Alchemy see the below
What did you think of all this?
-
Reply
-
0ctavias0fferings
May 18, 2009 @ 5:34 am | delete
- Alchemy is an interesting subject 5*
-
More spiritual book suggestions
The best spiritual books of all time
Gathering all my spiritual book reviews together. Religion and spirituality fascinates me no end. I also love to read books - this lens combines both fascinations....
Best most popular Buddhism Books
These books explain Buddhism for a modern Western audience. They generally focus on the practical aspects of Buddhism: how to live your life well and meditation. When...
The Ten Commandments : Books for Children
The 10 Commandments were given to Moses by God thousands of years ago, yet these moral and religious principles are relevant for modern life. These...
Best Dalai Lama Books List 2011
The Dalai Lama is that unique mix of a spiritual teacher and a political leader. Unlike the Pope he is virtually uncontested as a spiritual inspiration. His...
A Course in Miracles - famous quotes and sayings
One of the deepest hyped spiritual books of the late 20th century is 'a Course in Miracles' (also known as ACIM). It uses Christian symbols and imagery, but...
Best books about Christmas, for Children 2011
It's good for kids to be read to, and what better time to honor this tradition than around Christmas time? The books on this page each lend themselves to this...
Best books on Buddhism
If you are into a specific type of Buddhism - don't think you already know what 'Buddhism' is. Buddhism comes in a variety of forms and they disagree on issues...
Best Mindfulness Meditation Books 2011
Because modern life is so very busy, so full of sensory impressions from the internet, tv, music, traffic etc. many people need to be reminded of something most...
Best Zen Buddhism Books 2011
Zen Buddhism is perhaps one of the least understood forms of Buddhism, precisely because it's so well known. On the other hand - perhaps it's the type of...
Best Thich Nhat Hanh Mindfulness Books 2011
Anybody interested in Buddhism today knows about Zen Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. His lectures, books and videos are wildly popular because he manages...
Best Jiddu Krishnamurti Books
Krishnamurti's books were usually compiled by others from his talks. Below you will find introductions to his work, but also deeper philosophic reflection...
Best Books about karma and reincarnation
Learn about karma and reincarnation from the perspective of Buddhism, Theosophy and Hinduism. But also based on the science of past life memories of children...
Best Edgar Cayce Books
Edgar Evans Cayce (March 18, 1877 - January 3, 1945) was a clairvoyant. He channeled answers to questions on subjects such as health or Atlantis, while in a...
Yoga Sutras by Patanjali - Science of Yoga - Taimni
A very scholarly translation and commentary on THE yoga classic: the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. Taimni not only explains each sutra, but also puts them in...
Best Pema Chodron Buddhism Books
Buddhism is becoming more popular every day. Pema Chodron's books have a lot to do with that: they offer practical advice on how to deal with the troubles a...
Best Rumi Books of Poetry
Jalaladin Rumi was born in Wakhsh in Tajikistan on the 30th September 1207 to a family of learned Muslim theologians. Escaping the Mongol invasion and destruction,...
Geoffrey Hodson books on clairvoyance
Geoffrey Hodson (12 March 1886 in Lincolnshire, England - 23 January 1983 in Auckland, New Zealand) was a occultist, Theosophist, mystic, philosopher and...
Esoteric Mystic Christianity Books
In esoteric Christianity the experience of mystics is taken as the road before each of us: and it's seen as a road of initiation. The idea is basically that...
Best spiritual books for teenage girls
Religion and spirituality are often important to teenagers. Late teens especially have loads of questions about God, the meaning of life and lifestyle ...
Books on Saint Francis for Children
Saint Francis spent his entire life travelling throughout Europe. Not just humans, Saint Francis taught the Gospel to animals too!
He founded the...
Bible Coloring Books for Children
Most kids love to draw and color. Coloring Books are a great way to introduce kids to the Holy Bible and Biblical characters. Some of the Bible Coloring Books...
Books on Pope John Paul II for Children
For over 25 years he was the leading light of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II visited 129 countries during his pontificate and was the second longest...
Books on Mother Mary for Children
Mother Mary, also known as Maryam, Miriam, Saint Mary, Blessed Mary, and Virgin Mary - conceived Jesus through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. She is...
Theosophy Books - theosophical inspiration
Links to book reviews of theosophical books and a selection of the most famous and inspirational books in the theosophical movement. Books by Annie Besant, W.Q....
The gentlemen who recommended these books
Director, Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO)
University of Exeter, UK
Professor Joscelyn Godwin
Professor of Music and Medieval & Renaissance Studies
Colgate University, New York State, USA
Professor Wouter Hanegraaff
Director, Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dr. Richard Smoley
Editor Quest Magazine (former editor of Gnosis)
Wheaton, Illinois, USA
Govert Schuller
Editor Alpheus web site
Thanks for all your support!
- asking questions
- giving constructive feedback
- voting on my lenses
- buying stuff from my lenses
- linking to any of my web projects
- ... donating money :)
- and being generally supportive :) ;)
People talking about alchemy online
- Nicolas Cage: alchemist and shaman?
- Alchemy was a proto-science that paved the way for modern science (chemistry, modern medicine, physics) but also had a spiritual, shamanistic aspect. This is not to say that alchemists and shamans were and are officially coterminous, only that they ...
- Reverse alchemy: replacing precious platinum with ignoble iron
- A report published in last week's edition of Science discusses the work of a team of chemists who are looking at ways of obviating the need for the precious metals, replacing them with their more ordinary relatives. The paper focuses on chemistry that ...
- Magic and M/M Romance in the Weird Old West
- The best place to get them in Toronto is either the World's Biggest Bookstore or Bakka-Phoenix, our local science fiction-fantasy-horror bookstore. But you can order them through the system at any Chapters-Indigo, and naturally from CZP directly (CZP ...
by spirituality
I'm a webmaster and student of religion and spirituality. See my website on religion and spirituality: www.katinkahesselink.net or my spiritual blog: All... more »
Explore related pages
- Best Spiritual Christmas Presents and top Religious Birthday Gift Ideas 2012 Best Spiritual Christmas Presents and top Religious Birthday Gift Ideas 2012
- Llewellyn books, calendars, magical supplies and spells Llewellyn books, calendars, magical supplies and spells
- Religious Planners, Date Books, Engagement Planners and Agenda Books Religious Planners, Date Books, Engagement Planners and Agenda Books
- Help with Kundalini - best books Help with Kundalini - best books
- Elizabeth Clare Prophet Books Elizabeth Clare Prophet Books
- Esoteric Mystic Christianity Books Esoteric Mystic Christianity Books
