Dictionary of Alchemy

Mark Haeffner

Alchemy is a spiritual tradition which has flourished since the beginning of recorded history, if not earlier.  Its popular definition - an arcane art of transmuting base metals into gold - is far from the full picture.  The true meaning of alchemical concepts lies hidden within a complex structure of archetypal images and symbols.

The Dictionary of Alchemy is the essential reference book to guide you through the labyrinth of pre-Newtonian science and philosophy.  It includes both the materialist dimension of the search for the elixir of life and the transmutation of metals, and the inner search for the gold of mystical illumination.  This mine of information covers not only the Western Tradition, but also the less well-known, yet equally important, Indo-Tibetan and Chinese Taoist traditions.