Among the many books on Alchemy currently available, this colourful little volume seems at first glance to be a ‘fluffy’ offering.

Not so. Despite the army of designers, editors, photographers, and indexers listed inside, this is a sound introduction to the very complex art/science of Alchemy.

Author Francis Melville has written many books on mind/body/spirit. He currently runs a charitable foundation dedicated to research into alchemical medicine.

The illustrations are simply marvellous. Each page opening has a reproduction of an alchemical illustration, sometimes full page. I suspect the woodcut reproductions have been recently coloured, but are effective and appealing. Definitely worth a look.

The book is arranged in a logical fashion, proceeding from an explanation of alchemical symbolism, through the history, the restoration of Alchemy, the ‘Great Work’, and Spagyrics, all supported by a glossary, a list of further reading, relevant websites, and a comprehensive index. It is printed on high quality paper and headings are in an attractive calligraphic font.

The author has an easy explanatory style and addresses arcane meanings within the text by italics. Many of the common alchemical words are in Latin or Hebrew and need translation for the layperson.

The history of Alchemy is traced from the legendary Hermes Trismegistus through Classic Greek, Islamic, Kabbalistic, to the more recent times of Fulcanelli and, I am pleased to say, Carl Jung.

A brief survey of modern alchemists shows that despite flying under the radar for so many centuries, Alchemy has well and truly re-emerged. One of the most fruitful areas for modern alchemists is psychology. This is acknowledged and briefly discussed.

The section on the ‘Great Work’ outlines the big principles underlying the main object of Alchemy. These include duality, numerology, the elements, quintessence, the Seal of Solomon, and ‘As Above So Below’ – which includes the attributes of the heavenly bodies.

The processes of Alchemy are also described in their reality and by allegory. The section on Spagyrics is quite informative on how to prepare planetary elixirs and potions. The useful part for me was how to collect the prima materia, i.e., dew. I have no idea what I might do with it!

It is my contention that such a complex subject cannot be distilled into a few pages. Even so, this is a tantalising and cunning manuscript.

In this work, each of many vast subjects has two or maybe three pages of explanation including the lavish illustrations. As an introduction to whet the appetite of the curious, it succeeds admirably.

Practising alchemists may value it for the beautiful illustrations or as a gift for friends who want to know more about Alchemy. I recommend this book as a tease to entice a person with casual or emerging interest in Alchemy to further study in the area.

I found this a colourful, easy read, which informed a little, entertained a lot and was entirely in line as a primer for more scholarly books on Alchemy. Happy transmutations!

– Reviewed by Jennifer Hoskins in New Dawn No. 92