Alchemy's descent into mockery must have seemed complete when, in 1783, the English chemist and alchemist James Price took his own life rather than go before his peers in the Royal Society to prove his claim to transmute mercury into gold. Less than two centuries later however a new understanding arose in the field of depth psychology, and today alchemy's influence on our culture enjoys growing recognition and respect. The school of analytical psychology founded by C. G. Jung (1875-1961) gained historical depth through Jung's extensive researches into the alchemical tradition. It was his work which threw a new and penetrating light on this age-old subject, a subject which, like one of its oldest symbols, the phoenix-like Uroboros, has shown itself capable once again of renewal and revival.
This essay on the Origin of Alchemy, richly documented with quotes from Jung and other authors, is a concise introduction to the psychology of alchemy and a useful primer for the author's book The Immortal Number ~ Solving the Axiom of Maria the Prophetess.
This essay on the Origin of Alchemy, richly documented with quotes from Jung and other authors, is a concise introduction to the psychology of alchemy and a useful primer for the author's book The Immortal Number ~ Solving the Axiom of Maria the Prophetess.
