DENNIS WILLIAM HAUCK

SORCERER'S STONE:

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ALCHEMY

The word "alchemy" is becoming synonymous in our culture with the idea of positive growth and perfection. Quantum physicists and psychologists muse about the "New Alchemy," in which consciousness is seen as a force of nature – just as the alchemists believed. Leaders in such diverse fields as business management and software engineering are eager to apply the "alchemy" buzzword to breakthrough new techniques. Readers of the mega-selling Harry Potter series are spellbound by its magical characters and alchemical themes, which author J.K. Rowling freely admits she borrowed from alchemy books dating back over five-hundred years. 

But alchemy goes back much further than that. Historians have traced its roots to the Amenhotep dynasty in Egypt – over 3,500 years ago. This ancient "spiritual technology" was always an odd combination of magic, religion, and science. It can best be thought of as a science of soul that sought to accomplish lasting perfection by working simultaneously on all three levels of reality (the physical, the mental, and the spiritual). To an alchemist, the success of an experiment depended as much on the quality of the physical substances as it did on the experimenter's purity of consciousness, focused intent, and degree of spiritual maturity.
Changing lead into gold was only the outward metaphor of a larger process that involved the rejuvenation of the body, the integration of the personality, and the perfection of the human soul. Though they spoke of retorts, furnaces, acids and chemicals, the alchemists were really talking about changes taking place in their own bodies, minds, and souls. In our modern world, we have lost the magical connection to the universe that the alchemists sought to develop. Grown weary of New Age gurus and the spiritual supermarket approach to enlightenment, many modern seekers are starting to realize the authentic power of the ancient operations of alchemy. 

However, where does one go to learn alchemy? There are no alchemists in the Yellow Pages; no modern university offers alchemy in its curriculum. There is not a single Hogwarts School of Wizardry to be found anywhere, yet that is what people are looking for. People in all walks of life are discovering that the images and methods of alchemy have great relevance in their lives. Beyond the merely curious and those attracted to the allure of the occult, there is a huge segment of the population seeking practical methods of personal transformation. Audience members often come up to the author after his lectures and credit alchemical processes with altering their habits and lifestyles at a much deeper level than any other system they have tried. They all agree, however, that reading the original texts of the alchemists is out of the question. Even if one can find a translated manuscript to read, it is extremely hard work and thoroughly confusing to the uninitiated. What they want is the simplified Western approach to these ancient techniques that this book will provide.

Sorcerer's Stone: A Beginner's Guide to Alchemy is a no-nonsense guidebook to the basic philosophy and methodology of alchemy for people who know nothing about the subject. It is an alchemy for "dummies" book in the best sense of the word – intended for those just starting out on this path. Like a child's Golden Book of alchemy, this book explains how to be an alchemist in everyday terms that anyone can understand. Instead of appealing to the writings of long-dead philosophers or referencing arcane symbolism, this book will use true-life anecdotes, popular characters from fiction and film, elementary vocabulary, basic charts, and intuitive drawings to explain this ancient art of transformation. The "experiments" in this book are practical meditations and simple kitchen demonstrations that illustrate alchemical principles and show how they apply on all levels of physical, mental, and spiritual reality.

The author of this book, Dennis William Hauck, is a practicing alchemist versed in both Eastern and Western techniques of alchemy and widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts on the ancient art and the benefits it offers contemporary practitioners. Now, in Sorcerer's Stone, the first basic primer on the subject, he makes alchemy's secrets and powers accessible to everyone with the desire to experience physical, mental, and spiritual transformation. By providing clear explanations, moving meditations, and hands-on experiments making tinctures and elixirs, this beautifully illustrated guide passes on the knowledge and creative energy of alchemy's magnificent discipline—sending a golden arc of learning from thousands of years in the past into your life today.

Hauck presents a fascinating history of alchemy – from the ancient Emerald Tablet to modern quantum chemistry – and elaborates on its arcane principles in an intimate, conversational way that anyone can understand. His portrayals of individual alchemists (like Flamel, Fulcanelli, and Isaac Newton) bring them alive and show how they built on each other's work through an "Underground River" of secret knowledge passed down through the ages.

Moreover, Hauck makes clear that alchemy is a means of personal transformation that enables you to meet your highest potential as a human being. Although the alchemists spoke in terms of vessels, furnaces, and chemicals, they were really talking about changes taking place in their own inner nature. They worked with the archetypal energies of metals to change their own "temperament" from lead to gold – to rejuvenate their bodies, integrate their personalities, and perfect the very essence of their souls. The bizarre drawings and cryptic writings of the alchemists refer to specific operations that work on all levels of body, mind, and spirit. Today, enlightened physicians and healers are demonstrating that alchemical methods can protect and rejuvenate the body and even heal brain and spinal cord injuries.

Complete with alchemical engravings from the Middle Ages as well as insightful charts and diagrams, this illuminating handbook will teach aspiring alchemists the true art of transformation. The book includes an extensive glossary and resource guide.