Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Pérez-Bustamente, A. Juan: The Holistic Concept of Alchemy

from egyptian, mesopotamic, persian, arabic, indian and Chinese inscriptions and documents of any kind. The main criteria used for the purpose of establishing the origin of Alchemy is based on the study of ethymologies, doctrinal backgrounds, symbolism and objectives aimed at together with other auxiliary means of varied type. An added important difficulty arises from the cultural interactions in ancient times for old civilisations which pose often a number of unanswerable questions. All in all there exist controversy among different authors placing alternatively the matter as originated in Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, India and China. In any case different aspects of Alchemy may have originated simultaneously in different countries so that it becomes very problematic to try to assign a definite unique place for the birth of Alchemy. The four main common ingredients related to the essence of alchemy are depicted by fig.2 relating four keywords (inmortality, gold, snake, egg) to the conceptual basic symbology of alchemy which has to be considered as a general ennoblement system both in spiritual and material (hylic) sense. Alchemy is a solar art born from the human ancestral belief of mankind on inmortality which means everlasting life and perfection the materialization of which was invariably ascribed to gold. The existing literature dealing with the four keywords considered is overINNC4TAICT a - SW - COLO (vlvlf loot Ion) H Achievement through! - Exoteric ritual conwoniva - Oftbalalng practice3 . (cxetorio alchemy implied) - hnnoblesvent ant! purif icntion by doadtof the fatpur* body) followed by eaotnrie resurrection. n M»crobiotic*{eUxir«:herbal,c a - SW - COLO (vlvlf loot Ion) H Achievement through! - Exoteric ritual conwoniva - Oftbalalng practice3 . (cxetorio alchemy implied) - hnnoblesvent ant! purif icntion by doadtof the fatpur* body) followed by eaotnrie resurrection. n M»crobiotic*{eUxir«:herbal,c XEItPZNT COLS JAt-CHEKTlConoaptoal baai«£ symbol} XEItPZNT M Flesh,metnl of the sun Z the goda * Perfection, , inraortal i'.y M flclaUJ to MUl HOrh(o*QteriQ alcberayi M Tramnutations! conceptual duality: - lairitua.ll »oter;olceic«l catharsis, j , — resurrection}, - • , . • .ingestion of atgia*eUuoinogttnc? druei *n4 elixira - Mtarialiotic<"Ara H«rmtiw'V "PhiXo»opher*< Storw", Elixir*, Tinctures,projection powdtr.ato. * '* AT* orisopocylea" JAt-CHEKTlConoaptoal baai«£ symbol} M SMMd ^O the ttlR oonoep Very rich nynbolia nmbivalerct; - natter/apirit ;'^ln-y«»g'

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*T'ai-chi" * flxed-VDlatiKaoaa-neuwa) * nalefio-benafio - creativa-deatructivojcostBko unity • Vary Important alcheuieal •ynboliair.: - prima .impure *attar{chaos;t« trono^y) ':• - aq'jilibriu»,rev«r«ibinty, cycle M Flesh,metnl of the sun Z the goda * Perfection, , inraortal i'.y M flclaUJ to MUl HOrh(o*QteriQ alcberayi M Tramnutations! conceptual duality: - lairitua.ll »oter;olceic«l catharsis, j , — resurrection}, - • , . • .ingestion of atgia*eUuoinogttnc? druei *n4 elixira - Mtarialiotic<"Ara H«rmtiw'V "PhiXo»opher*< Storw", Elixir*, Tinctures,projection powdtr.ato. * '* AT* orisopocylea" m Solar art M £jtoteric-oxoteria du»H«» M Conplcftcnt*ry dialectics of opposition*! - CHAOS-CO5KOS . ) encropy-»yr.tropy ( •• .. - tARtll-HCAVCK(«tonic-Mr»nlo> - WTTSn-SriRXTUoaui-iwuiu) - riXM>-VDLATIL£{ id«) - KALC-rCMALc<ooa«i8 aoxualit} M SMMd ^O the ttlR oonoep Very rich nynbolia nmbivalerct; - natter/apirit ;'^ln-y«»g'

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*T'ai-chi" * flxed-VDlatiKaoaa-neuwa) * nalefio-benafio - creativa-deatructivojcostBko unity • Vary Important alcheuieal •ynboliair.: - prima .impure *attar{chaos;t« trono^y) ':• - aq'jilibriu»,rev«r«ibinty, cycle M Vary rich C important aymbollani - Primeval natter!

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'ohaM'*} -.4 alonentafvorld'a !**£«) ' - harmetic veaael - " phitoacphinal eRp"C-Cre«t - FeSftiS^fifeitatency. creative potentiality - Cosmic sHaentia.BexuaU.tj' - Heroafrcxfite.Rohia,Androgtnt Prajapati, BrarManen Fig. 2. Main concepts and symbolisms related to the origin of ALCHEMY