The Philosophy of Alchemy - By Ashley Scherwin

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The Philosophy of Alchemy
by Ashley Scherwin

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CHAPTER I

The Thaumaturgical Art

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Before a practitioner may begin the act of Wonder Making, they must first understand the nature of the Alchemical arts. The Thaumaturge is not a hedgewizard playing at poultices and cantrips, nor the merchant mage who sells bottled cures and love spells, for to engage in alchemy is to transmute the very nature of the world. A divine act of creation which is unparalleled in the works of sorcery. Equally it is unparalleled in the danger it poses both to its practitioner and the world which shall be altered by the Chrysopoeian techniques.
 
Alchemy as a tradition can be described as the Four and Seven. Representing each of the Four elements; Air, Water, Fire, Earth, As well as the Seven forms; Light, Dark, Solid, Liquid, Energetic, Inert, and Void.

Magic in its mundane form is often referred to simply as the Art, something which may be learned at the feet of a master and reinvented with creativity and practice to the practitioner's own tastes. Alchemy holds no such freedom, it is a paradoxical art which requires directly conflicting ideals to exist in equilibrium. To make what is, into what will be, requires a finesse demanding in patience, temperance and exacting skill. The Art must obey the laws of nature, understand the truth and form of these laws. Only to, at the last moment, subvert them and transcend them.

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CHAPTER II

Responsibility of the Magi

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The Great Work takes no set form and while no two alchemists shall travel the same path, it must be shared. The Fool who thinks themselves wise shall make a hoard of their knowledge, unexamined, untested, unshared. Never shall they know the wisdom in the eyes of another, they shall be blind to their own failings, and blind to the danger.

For every wonder there is a horror, for every miracle a curse, it is the responsibility of the Magi to navigate the troubled shores of possibility. Jhalan Ishkar Zenithar of the Astronomers of Q'tolip teaches his students the importance of companionship, this lesson rings true in all of the Arts of wisdom. Astrology, Alchemy, and Spellcraft.

Where one shall fail, two shall succeed, this is a fundamental truth. As the equilibrium of the future must be balanced with the past. Theurge and Companion must form a balance, for the powerful works of the Thaumaturge must be carefully balanced, else wise disaster. Those who seek to work wonders must ever be afeard to work nightmares in their stead. For personal power, for wealth, even for knowledge shall the art bend toward ruin. Only with pure intention, for the goodness of others, and the knowledge which provides it may the Thaumaturge stay true.

Bearing these truths in mind, The alchemical techniques must never be applied to living subjects, nor shall they be endeavored alone, nor shall the Thaumaturge allow pressure of worldly pleasures or pains to change their methodology.  Most importantly, there shall come a time where an error has been made, and the consequences may be dire, The Thaumaturge or Companion may come to great harm, the wider world, even creatures from beyond it. It is the final responsibility of the Magi to bear the responsibility for the harm they cause, even in good heart, else the magi has fallen from the art.

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CHAPTER III

Abjuration of the Danger of Alchemy

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How does one avoid the monstrous and inhumane, the unnatural consequences of failed miracles? The practice of safe alchemy consists of three components, Physical covering, magical warding, and comprehensive observation.

For each component of the Alchemic process there are risks, identifying the correct protective vestments is vital to the success of the art. For when working with fire, it is unwise to wear linen or cotton, instead wear clothing composed of wool. When working with Acrid fumes wear a mask with a hard covering to prevent spills and a soft cloth filter within to protect from airborne exposure. When working with Caustic materials wear instead an apron and long gloves of treated leather, to prevent exposure to skin. There will be countless situations and the Thaumaturge must decide for themselves with knowledge and advice what the best measure against the dangers present will be.

The Practitioner shall inevitably face more esoteric threats, for there is always a balance and when bending the rules and laws of nature, The Magi must be prepared for them to snap. Elemental forces shall upon imbalance spill in conflagration thus the wise magi shall always prepare elemental shielding. Likewise, when interacting with the forms of darkness and void, prepare such magical defenses opposing death and unlife. So too may Solid and inert do physical harm, and should be warded against in physical barrier.

The greatest of the Esoteric threats is the presence of malicious beings, whom upon the weakening of the laws of reality might seek entry, most beings capable of such are not benign, and are typically possessed of great magical skill being non material creatures by nature. This is the worst outcome of any Thaumaturgical event but one the Magi must be prepared for. The Companion shall be most vital in this instance, as the being shall manifest closest to the Wondercraft. In these instances the Thaumaturge shall have to retreat while the companion covers their flight, and regroup. For the being can not be left to its devices. For each creature shall be different there can be no guide. The Thaumaturge must practice self defense and the expulsion of such creatures if there is to be hope of the true delvings of the Art.

For this matter the constant and attentive recording of observed phenomenon will be vital to the Thaumaturge's practice, without this knowledge all success shall be temporary and all failure shall be lasting, the companion is once again the greatest and most important ally to the Thaumaturge who is engaged directly in the workings and less capable of such observation and recording. This practice is vital to all others, and can not be neglected.

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AFTERWORD

Advice to Would-Be Alchemists

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To those apprentices who look at the art of miracle and transformation as a path to power and fame, I warn you now. Turn yourself from this path, only ruin awaits you. The Art is not for this, for it is a thankless task, fraught with danger. You shall be criticized, your mind and body subjected to rigors you are not aware you may face, horrors which shall test you and take you to your very limit. For Bravery comes in the smallest of strides, but with the greatest of measures.

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Plain Text

The Philosophy of Alchemy - By Ashley Scherwin.

Chapter 1
The Thaumaturgical Art.

Before a practitioner may begin the act of Wonder Making, they must first understand the nature of the Alchemical arts. The Thaumaturge is not a hedgewizard playing at poultices and cantrips, nor the merchant mage who sells bottled cures and love spells, for to engage in alchemy is to transmute the very nature of the world. A divine act of creation which is unparalleled in the works of sorcery. Equally it is unparalleled in the danger it poses both to its practitioner and the world which shall be altered by the Chrysopoeian techniques.

Alchemy as a tradition can be described as the Four and Seven. Representing each of the Four elements; Air, Water, Fire, Earth, As well as the Seven forms; Light, Dark, Solid, Liquid, Energetic, Inert, and Void.

Magic in its mundane form is often referred to simply as the Art, something which may be learned at the feet of a master and reinvented with creativity and practice to the practitioner's own tastes. Alchemy holds no such freedom, it is a paradoxical art which requires directly conflicting ideals to exist in equilibrium. To make what is, into what will be, requires a finesse demanding in patience, temperance and exacting skill. The Art must obey the laws of nature, understand the truth and form of these laws. Only to, at the last moment, subvert them and transcend them.

Chapter 2
Responsibility of the Magi.

The Great Work takes no set form and while no two alchemists shall travel the same path, it must be shared. The Fool who thinks themselves wise shall make a hoard of their knowledge, unexamined, untested, unshared. Never shall they know the wisdom in the eyes of another, they shall be blind to their own failings, and blind to the danger.

For every wonder there is a horror, for every miracle a curse, it is the responsibility of the Magi to navigate the troubled shores of possibility. Jhalan Ishkar Zenithar of the Astronomers of Q'tolip teaches his students the importance of companionship, this lesson rings true in all of the Arts of wisdom. Astrology, Alchemy, and Spellcraft.

Where one shall fail, two shall succeed, this is a fundamental truth. As the equilibrium of the future must be balanced with the past. Theurge and Companion must form a balance, for the powerful works of the Thaumaturge must be carefully balanced, else wise disaster. Those who seek to work wonders must ever be afeard to work nightmares in their stead. For personal power, for wealth, even for knowledge shall the art bend toward ruin. Only with pure intention, for the goodness of others, and the knowledge which provides it may the Thaumaturge stay true.

Bearing these truths in mind, The alchemical techniques must never be applied to living subjects, nor shall they be endeavored alone, nor shall the Thaumaturge allow pressure of worldly pleasures or pains to change their methodology.  Most importantly, there shall come a time where an error has been made, and the consequences may be dire, The Thaumaturge or Companion may come to great harm, the wider world, even creatures from beyond it. It is the final responsibility of the Magi to bear the responsibility for the harm they cause, even in good heart, else the magi has fallen from the art.


Chapter 3.
Abjuration of the Danger of Alchemy.

How does one avoid the monstrous and inhumane, the unnatural consequences of failed miracles? The practice of safe alchemy consists of three components, Physical covering, magical warding, and comprehensive observation.

For each component of the Alchemic process there are risks, identifying the correct protective vestments is vital to the success of the art. For when working with fire, it is unwise to wear linen or cotton, instead wear clothing composed of wool. When working with Acrid fumes wear a mask with a hard covering to prevent spills and a soft cloth filter within to protect from airborne exposure. When working with Caustic materials wear instead an apron and long gloves of treated leather, to prevent exposure to skin. There will be countless situations and the Thaumaturge must decide for themselves with knowledge and advice what the best measure against the dangers present will be.

The Practitioner shall inevitably face more esoteric threats, for there is always a balance and when bending the rules and laws of nature, The Magi must be prepared for them to snap. Elemental forces shall upon imbalance spill in conflagration thus the wise magi shall always prepare elemental shielding. Likewise, when interacting with the forms of darkness and void, prepare such magical defenses opposing death and unlife. So too may Solid and inert do physical harm, and should be warded against in physical barrier.

The greatest of the Esoteric threats is the presence of malicious beings, whom upon the weakening of the laws of reality might seek entry, most beings capable of such are not benign, and are typically possessed of great magical skill being non material creatures by nature. This is the worst outcome of any Thaumaturgical event but one the Magi must be prepared for. The Companion shall be most vital in this instance, as the being shall manifest closest to the Wondercraft. In these instances the Thaumaturge shall have to retreat while the companion covers their flight, and regroup. For the being can not be left to its devices. For each creature shall be different there can be no guide. The Thaumaturge must practice self defense and the expulsion of such creatures if there is to be hope of the true delvings of the Art.

For this matter the constant and attentive recording of observed phenomenon will be vital to the Thaumaturge's practice, without this knowledge all success shall be temporary and all failure shall be lasting, the companion is once again the greatest and most important ally to the Thaumaturge who is engaged directly in the workings and less capable of such observation and recording. This practice is vital to all others, and can not be neglected.

Afterword.
Advice to would be Alchemists.

To those apprentices who look at the art of miracle and transformation as a path to power and fame, I warn you now. Turn yourself from this path, only ruin awaits you. The Art is not for this, for it is a thankless task, fraught with danger. You shall be criticized, your mind and body subjected to rigors you are not aware you may face, horrors which shall test you and take you to your very limit. For Bravery comes in the smallest of strides, but with the greatest of measures.

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