Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver; it was also known as "the tincture" and "the powder." Alchemists additionally believed that it could be used to make an elixir of life which made possible rejuvenation and immortality.
For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal in alchemy. The philosopher's stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, divine illumination, and heavenly bliss. Efforts to discover the philosopher's stone were known as the Magnum Opus ("Great Work").
Name
Numerous synonyms were used to make oblique reference to the stone, such as:
- "white stone" (calculus albus, identified with the calculus candidus of Revelation 2:17)
- vitriol (as expressed in the backronym Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem)
- lapis noster or lapis occultus
- Adam
- Aqua benedicta
- Dominus philosophorum
- Ovum philosophorum
Legendary origins
Elias Ashmole and the anonymous author of Gloria Mundi (1620) claim that its history goes back to Adam, who acquired the knowledge of the stone directly from God. This knowledge was said to have been passed down through biblical patriarchs, giving them their longevity. The legend of the stone was also compared to the biblical history of the Temple of Solomon and the rejected cornerstone described in Psalm 118.
The theoretical roots outlining the stone's creation can be traced to Greek philosophy. Alchemists later used the classical elements, the concept of anima mundi, and Creation stories presented in texts like Plato's Timaeus as analogies for their process. According to Plato, the four elements are derived from a common source or prima materia (first matter), associated with chaos. Prima materia is also the name alchemists assign to the starting ingredient for the creation of the philosopher's stone. The importance of this philosophical first matter persisted throughout the history of alchemy.
History
The earliest known written mention of the philosopher's stone is about 4000 years ago in an ancient stone carving, then again in the Cheirokmeta by Zosimos of Panopolis (c. 300 AD).
The development of the philosopher's stone through the color process of black, white, yellow, and red can be found in the Physika kai Mystika of Pseudo-Democritus, which is often considered to be one of the oldest books on alchemy.
The eighth-century Muslim alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan (Latinized as "Geber") analysed each classical element in terms of the four basic qualities. He theorized that the transmutation of one metal into another could be accomplished by the rearrangement of its basic qualities. This change would be mediated by a substance, which came to be called xerion in Greek and al-iksir in Arabic (from which the word "elixir" is derived). It was often considered to exist as a dry red powder made from a legendary stone—the philosopher's stone.
In the 11th century, there was a debate among Muslim world chemists on whether the transmutation of substances was possible. A leading opponent was the Persian polymath Avicenna (Ibn Sina), who discredited the theory of the transmutation of substances, stating, "Those of the chemical craft know well that no change can be effected in the different species of substances, though they can produce the appearance of such change."
The 16th-century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus (Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) believed in the existence of alkahest, which he thought to be an undiscovered element from which all other elements were simply derivative forms. Paracelsus believed that this element was, in fact, the philosopher's stone.
Occultist Edward Kelley claimed to have created the philosopher's stone, but was imprisoned by Emperor Rudolf II in 1591 when he failed to produce any gold.
French alchemist Nicolas Flamel was believed by many to have created the philosopher's stone.
The English philosopher Sir Thomas Browne in his spiritual testament Religio Medici (1643) identified the religious aspect of the quest for the philosopher's stone when declaring: "The smattering I have of the Philosophers stone, (which is something more than the perfect exaltation of gold) hath taught me a great deale of Divinity."
A mystical text published in the 17th century called the Mutus Liber appears to be a symbolic instruction manual for concocting a philosopher's stone. Called the "wordless book," it was a collection of 15 illustrations.
Properties
The most commonly mentioned properties are the ability to transmute base metals into gold or silver, and the ability to heal all forms of illness and prolong the life of any person who consumes a small part of the philosopher's stone diluted in wine. Other mentioned properties include: creation of perpetually burning lamps, transmutation of common crystals into precious stones and diamonds, reviving of dead plants, creation of flexible or malleable glass, and the creation of a clone or homunculus.
Description
Descriptions of the philosopher's stone are numerous and various. According to alchemical texts, the stone of the philosophers came in two varieties, prepared by an almost identical method: white (for the purpose of making silver), and red (for the purpose of making gold), the white stone being a less mature version of the red stone.
Some ancient and medieval alchemical texts leave clues to the physical appearance of the stone of the philosophers, specifically the red stone. It is often said to be orange (saffron coloured) or red when ground to powder. Or in a solid form, an intermediate between red and purple, transparent and glass-like. The weight is spoken of as being heavier than gold, and it is soluble in any liquid, and incombustible in fire.
Alchemical authors sometimes suggest that the stone's descriptors are metaphorical.
Creation
The philosopher's stone is created by the alchemical method known as The Magnum Opus or The Great Work. Often expressed as a series of color changes or chemical processes, the instructions for creating the philosopher's stone are varied. The original process philosophy has four stages:
- nigredo, the blackening or melanosis
- albedo, the whitening or leucosis
- citrinitas, the yellowing or xanthosis
- rubedo, the reddening, purpling, or iosis
When expressed as a series of chemical processes it often includes seven or twelve stages concluding in multiplication, and projection.
The various names and attributes assigned to the philosopher's stone have led to long-standing speculation on its composition and source. Exoteric candidates have been found in metals, plants, rocks, chemical compounds, and bodily products such as hair, urine, and eggs. Alchemists once thought a key component in the creation of the stone was a mythical element named "carmot."
Some alchemists also circulated steps for the creation of practical medicines and substances, that have little to do with the magnum opus. The cryptic and often symbolic language used to describe both adds to the confusion, but it's clear that there is no single standard step-by-step recipe given for the creation of the philosopher's stone.
The Olympic spirit Ophiel is said to be capable of creating the philosopher's stone.
Popular culture
The philosopher's stone has been an inspiration, plot feature, or subject of innumerable artistic works including animations, comics, films, musical compositions, novels, and video games.
- As Above, So Below
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- The Flash
- The Mystery of Mamo