Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone
The philosopher's stone, said to turn lead into gold and grant eternal life. The homunculus, the deathless Count of Saint-Germain, and on to Frankenstein: follow the people and legends of alchemy.
Drag to move, scroll or pinch to zoom. Tap a circle for details.
The connections in words
- Alchemy The ultimate goal → Philosopher's Stone Alchemists sought the philosopher's stone, which would make gold and grant immortality.
- Paracelsus Used it for medicine → Alchemy He tried to put alchemy to use in medicine.
- Paracelsus Described the recipe → Homunculus He is said to have described how to create a small human in a flask.
- George Ripley Its namesake → Ripley Scroll His name is attached to the scroll that pictures the making of the stone.
- Ripley Scroll Pictures the recipe → Philosopher's Stone
- John Dee Studied it → Alchemy A scholar to Elizabeth I who studied alchemy and communication with angels.
- Edward Kelley Partner → John Dee He worked with Dee on spirit communication and alchemy.
- Ouroboros Symbol → Alchemy An alchemical emblem of eternity and cycles.
- Carl Jung Read it as growth of the psy → Alchemy He studied alchemical symbols as stages in the growth of the psyche.
- Homunculus Artificial beings → Golem Both are beings created by human hands.
- Kabbalah Power of letters → Golem The golem is said to move by the power of sacred letters.
- Frankenstein Artificial beings → Golem Stories of artificial beings that escape their makers' control.
- Mary Shelley Wrote it → Frankenstein She published the novel Frankenstein in 1818.
- Count of Saint-Germain Rumored to own it → Philosopher's Stone The count who never aged was rumored to possess the philosopher's stone.
The Story
- Lead into gold, mortals into immortals
Alchemy was an art and philosophy that sought to turn ordinary metals into gold, and even to grant eternal life. The key was the philosopher's stone.
- The alchemists
The physician Paracelsus, Elizabeth I's scholar John Dee and his partner Edward Kelley, and George Ripley, whose name is attached to an illustrated scroll of the stone, were among the many who devoted themselves to it.
- The little man in the flask
Paracelsus is said to have described how to create a tiny human in a flask: the homunculus.
- A lineage of artificial life
Stories of humans creating life also include the clay golem of Jewish folklore and Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
- The deathless count
The Count of Saint-Germain, who appeared at 18th-century courts, never seemed to age, and was rumored to possess the philosopher's stone.
- From alchemy to psychology
Alchemy laid the foundations of modern chemistry. In the 20th century, the psychologist Carl Jung read its symbols as a story of the growth of the psyche.