Hermetic Arts
Alchemy, as we said before, is about way more than just turning lead into gold. Alchemy is animated by the forces of magic and experimentation.
Also known as the Hermetic Arts, after the Greek god Hermes, one of the foundational texts of Alchemy is the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. If you understood the message of this tablet, it was said that you could understand the entirety of the philosophy of alchemy. On this slate were the teachings about the rules and laws of nature.
We tried to read it. The first paragraph says, “that which is below corresponds to that which is above, and that which is above corresponds to that which is below to accomplish the miracles of one thing.” We couldn't quite figure out if the complex language was meant to be a deterrent, or a means to sift out the riff-raff from the serious alchemists, but it was definitely a bit of a confusing one to be hit with right off the bat.
But Hermes, like all great spirits, doesn’t give away his secrets so easily. We had to do a bit of work to figure out what he meant.
Basically, what we arrived at was that if the heavens and the gods (that which is above) could come into union with earth and us mortals (that which is below), then we have the power to access the divine.
All is one. And there, perhaps, is the true nature of existence.
Also known as the Hermetic Arts, after the Greek god Hermes, one of the foundational texts of Alchemy is the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. If you understood the message of this tablet, it was said that you could understand the entirety of the philosophy of alchemy. On this slate were the teachings about the rules and laws of nature.
We tried to read it. The first paragraph says, “that which is below corresponds to that which is above, and that which is above corresponds to that which is below to accomplish the miracles of one thing.” We couldn't quite figure out if the complex language was meant to be a deterrent, or a means to sift out the riff-raff from the serious alchemists, but it was definitely a bit of a confusing one to be hit with right off the bat.
But Hermes, like all great spirits, doesn’t give away his secrets so easily. We had to do a bit of work to figure out what he meant.
Basically, what we arrived at was that if the heavens and the gods (that which is above) could come into union with earth and us mortals (that which is below), then we have the power to access the divine.
All is one. And there, perhaps, is the true nature of existence.