The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum; Greek: chrysopoeia) is a legendary substance, supposedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold; it was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For a long time it was the most sought after goal in Western alchemy. The term philosophers stone may refer to: Philosophers stone, the medieval term for the alchemical secret of converting lead into gold Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, a fiction novel Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (film), the film based on the novel Harry Potter and... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... For other uses, see Legend (disambiguation). ... This article is about metallic materials. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... The elixir of life, also known as the elixir of immortality or Dancing Water and sometimes equated with the Philosophers stone, is a legendary potion, or drink, that grants the drinker eternal life or eternal youth. ... Rejuvenation is the procedure of reversing the aging process, thus regaining youth. ... The Fountain of Eternal Life in Cleveland, Ohio Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an infinite length of time, or in a state of timelessness. ... For this articles equivalent regarding the East, see Eastern culture. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ...

In the view of spiritual alchemy, making the philosopher's stone would bring enlightenment upon the maker and conclude the Great Work.^[1] Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera), from the Latin meaning great work,[1] refers to the best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer, and most commonly one who has contributed a very large amount of material. ...

In alchemy

Alchemists once thought a key component of the stone was a mythical element named carmot. The element is no longer believed to exist according to modern scientific knowledge.^[2][3] The periodic table of the chemical elements A chemical element, or element, is a type of atom that is distinguished by its atomic number; that is, by the number of protons in its nucleus. ...

Alchemy itself is mostly an original concept and science practiced in the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, and India. However, the concept of ensuring youthful health originated in China, while the concept of transmutating one metal into a more precious one (silver or gold) originated from the theories of the 8th century Arab alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan^{[citation needed]} (Latinized as 'Geber'). He analysed each Aristotelian element in terms of the four basic qualities of hotness, coldness, dryness, and moistness. Fire was both hot and dry, earth cold and dry, water cold and moist, and air hot and moist. He further theorized that every metal was a combination of these four principles, two of them interior and two exterior. For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Overview map of the ancient Near East The terms ancient Near East or ancient Orient encompass the early civilizations predating classical antiquity in the region roughly corresponding to that described by the modern term Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria), during the time roughly spanning... Alchemy in Islam differs from the general alchemy in certain ways, one of which is that Muslim alchemists didnt believe in the creation of life in the laboratory. ... Jabir ibn Hayyan and Geber were also pen names of an anonymous 14th century Spanish alchemist: see Pseudo-Geber. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Several ancient Classical Element ideas exist. ...

From this premise, it was reasoned that the transmutation of one metal into another could be effected by the rearrangement of its basic qualities. This change would presumably be mediated by a substance, which came to be called al-iksir in Arabic (from which the Western term "elixir" is derived). It is often considered to exist as a dry red powder (also known as al-Kibrit al-Ahmar الكبريت الأحمر -- red sulphur) made from a legendary stone — the "philosopher's stone"^{[citation needed]}. Arabic redirects here. ...

In the 11th century, there was a debate among Muslim chemists on whether the transmutation of substances was possible. A leading opponent was Avicenna, who discredited the theory of transmutation of substances: Alchemy in Islam differs from the general alchemy in certain ways, one of which is that Muslim alchemists didnt believe in the creation of life in the laboratory. ... (Persian: ابن سينا) (c. ...

"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."^[4]

According to legend, the 13th-century scientist and philosopher Albertus Magnus is said to have discovered the philosopher's stone and passed it to his pupil Thomas Aquinas, shortly before his death circa 1280. Magnus does not confirm he discovered the stone in his writings, but he did record that he witnessed the creation of gold by "transmutation."^[5] Albertus Magnus (b. ... Aquinas redirects here. ...

The 16th-century Swiss alchemist Philippus Paracelsus believed in the existence of alkahest which he thought to be an undiscovered element from which all other elements (earth, fire, water, air) were simply derivative forms. Paracelsus believed that this element alkahest was, in fact, the philosopher's stone. Paracelsus Paracelsus (November 11 or December 17, 1493 - September 24, 1541) was a famous alchemist, physician, astrologer, and general occultist. ... Alkahest (or alcahest) is a hypothetical universal solvent, having the power to dissolve every other substance, including gold. ...

Jabir's theory was based on the concept that metals like gold and silver could be hidden in alloys and ores, from which they could be recovered by the appropriate chemical treatment. Jabir himself is believed to be the inventor of aqua regia, a mixture of muriatic (hydrochloric) and nitric acids, one of the few substances that can dissolve gold (and which is still often used for gold recovery and purification). An alloy is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... For other uses, see Ore (disambiguation). ... Freshly prepared aqua regia is colorless, but it turns orange within seconds. ... Hydrochloric acid is the aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride gas (HCl). ... The chemical compound nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen nitrate (anhydrous nitric acid). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

Gold was particularly valued as a metal that would not rust, tarnish, corrode or otherwise grow corrupt. Since the philosopher's stone would turn a corruptible base metal to incorruptible gold, naturally it would similarly transform human beings from mortal (corruptible) to immortal (incorruptible). One of many theories was that gold was a superior form of metal, and that the philosopher's stone was even purer and superior to gold, and if combined with lesser metals would turn them into superior gold as well.^{[citation needed]}

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. The Mutus Liber, or Wordless Book was an alchemical text published in France in the latter half of the 17th century. ...

Contemporary interpretations

The Latin American spiritual teacher Samael Aun Weor stated that the philosopher's stone is synonymous with the symbol of the stone found in many other spiritual and religious traditions, such as the stone Jacob rests his head upon, the cubic stone of Freemasonry, and the rock upon which Christ lays the foundation of the temple.^[6] Samael Aun Weor Samael Aun Weor (March 16, 1917 - December 24, 1977) was a prolific writer, lecturer and teacher of occultism. ... The angels climb Jacobs Ladder on the west front of Bath Abbey. ... Freemasons redirects here. ... Icon of Christ in a Greek Orthodox church This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ...

He states that this "stone of stumbling" and "rock of offence" is the creative-sexual energy, which in Kabbalah is Yesod ("foundation") that must be transmuted through sexual alchemy. It is said to be rejected by the "builders," meaning those who seek spiritual edification, because they reject the transmutation of sexual energy, and instead use it to achieve sensual pleasure.^[7] This article is about traditional Jewish Kabbalah. ... Yesod (foundation) is one of the important Kabbalistic sephirot. ... Sexual sublimation, also known as sexual transmutation, is a method used to reportedly transform the sexual energy into higher creative outlets in order to faciliate spiritual awakening. ... Sex magic or sexual magic is a term for various types of sexual activity used in magical, theurgical, or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. ...

In art and entertainment

The philosopher's stone has been subject, inspiration, or plot feature of innumerable artistic works: novels, comics stories, movies, animations, and even musical compositions. It is also a popular item in many video games. The following is a very incomplete list. For other uses, see Novel (disambiguation). ... Comics (or, less commonly, sequential art) is a form of visual art consisting of images which are commonly combined with text, often in the form of speech balloons or image captions. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Computer and video games redirects here. ...

Literature

• Natural Magic (1558), by Giambattista della Porta
• The Philosopher's Stone (1789), by Christoph Martin Wieland.^[8] German fairy tale.
• Hinzelmeier (1857), by Theodor Storm.^[8] Romantic style German fairy tale.
• Philosopher's Stone (1859), by Hans Christian Andersen.
• The Trumpeter of Krakow (1928), by Eric P. Kelly.
• The Red Lion 1946, by Maria Szepes Hungary. Story of a man's journey through four centuries of life after acquiring the Philosopher's stone.
• One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), by Gabriel García Márquez.
• The Philosopher's Stone (Colin Wilson book) (1971), by C. H. Wilson.
• The Ogre Downstairs (1974), by Diana Wynne Jones.
• The Alchemist (1988), by Paulo Coelho.
• Foucault's Pendulum (1988), by Umberto Eco, where a character claims that the Stone is actually the Holy Grail.
• Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix (1994 graphic novel), by Lee Marrs.
• Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone (1995), by Max McCoy.
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), by J. K. Rowling (renamed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US; note also that when the stone is referred to in Latin in a Potter context, it is called philosophi lapis rather than philosophorum, i.e. "of the philosopher" instead of the original "of philosophers").
• The Philosopher's Stone: A Quest for the Secrets of Alchemy (2001), by Peter Marshall
• The Baroque Cycle trilogy (2003–2004), by Neal Stephenson, where it is used to explain an unusually heavy gold sample.
• The Queen's Fool (novel, 2004), by Philippa Gregory.
• The Alchemyst:the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (novel, 2007), by Michael Scott.
• The Six Sacred Stones (novel, 2007 AUS or 2008 US and UK), By Matthew Reily.

Magiae Naturalis (in English, Natural Magic) is a work of popular science by Giambattista della Porta first published in Naples in 1558. ... Image:Giovanni della Porta. ... Christoph Martin Wieland (September 5, 1733 _ January 20, 1813), was a German poet and writer. ... Theodor Storm (1886) Theodor Woldsen Storm (September 14, 1817 in Husum, Germany - July 4, 1888 in Hademarschen, Germany) studied and practiced law in northern Germany. ... Romantics redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hans Christian Andersen (disambiguation). ... The Trumpeter of Krakow is a book by Eric P. Kelly that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American childrens literature in 1929. ... Eric P. Kelly (16 March 1884-3 January 1960) was an American journalist, academic and author of books for young readers, whose book, The Trumpeter of Krakow, won the Newbery Medal for childrens literature in 1929. ... The Red Lion is widely regarded as the most common name for a English pub. ... Mária Szepes [] (December 14, 1908 – September 3, 2007) was a Hungarian author. ... One Hundred Years of Solitude (Spanish: ) is a novel by Nobel Prize winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez that was first published in Spanish in 1967 (Buenos Aires: Sudamericana), with an English translation by Gregory Rabassa released in 1970 (New York: Harper and Row). ... Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez, also known as Gabo (born March 6, 1927[1] in Aracataca, Colombia) is a Colombian novelist, journalist, editor, publisher, political activist, and recipient of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. ... Colin Henry Wilson (born June 26, 1931) is a British writer. ... The Ogre Downstairs is a 1974 fantasy novel for children. ... Diana Wynne Jones (born London August 16, 1934) is a British writer, principally of fantasy novels for children and adults, as well as a small amount of non-fiction. ... For similarly-named works, see Alchemist. ... Paulo Coelho (IPA: ) (born August 24, 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. ... Foucaults Pendulum (original title: Il pendolo di Foucault) is a novel by Italian novelist and philosopher Umberto Eco. ... Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa) and his many essays. ... For other uses, see Holy Grail (disambiguation). ... Following the success of Fate of Atlantis, LucasArts began developing a sequel named Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix in 1993. ... Lee Marrs is best known for her comic book series, The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp. ... WTF? This was a search topic, yet when I went here I saw Wikipedia does not yet have a page called Indiana Jones and the Philosophers Stone. ... HPSS and HP1 redirect here. ... Joanne Jo Murray, née Rowling OBE[1] (born 31 July 1965),[2] who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is a British writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Peter Marshall is a philosopher, historian, biographer,travel writer and poet. ... The Baroque Cycle is a series of books written by Neal Stephenson and published in 2003 and 2004. ... Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer, known primarily for his science fiction works in the postcyberpunk genre with a penchant for explorations of society, mathematics, currency, and the history of science. ... The Queens Fool by Philippa Gregory is a 2004 historical fiction novel aimed at young adults. ... Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) is a British novelist, mainly associated with the historical fiction genre. ... The Six Sacred Stones is an upcoming novel by acclaimed Australian thriller novelist Matthew Reilly. ...

Comics, movies, TV, and animations

Philosopher's stone as depicted in the first Harry Potter film.

• The Fabulous Philosopher's Stone (1955), a Donald Duck story by Carl Barks.
• The Flash rogue known as Doctor Alchemy used a philosopher's stone as his main weapon in crime (1958)
• The Philosopher's Stone (1958) by Satyajit Ray.
• The Night of the Feathered Fury", a Wild Wild West episode. Count Manzeppi (guest star Victor Buono) attempts to acquire a wind-up bird that contains a magical secret: the Philosopher’s Stone (1967).
• Legend of the Holy Rose, a two-part MacGyver episode centered on finding the philosopher's stone (1989)
• The Slayers (1995), the version of the stone that was depicted in this series varied quite substantially from traditional depictions of it, the stone being of a dark color, and appeared to have a metamorphic-rock-like consistency, it was said to be part of the "Staff of the Gods" that supported the Slayers world, and increased a magic-user's powers exponentially, to the point of being almost god-like.
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996), episode where a modern alchemist forces the Quest family to join in his experimentation with the Philosopher's stone.
• Rock of Ages, a 5-part story-arc in DC Comics' JLA comic series. (1997-98)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001); retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US.
• Fullmetal Alchemist (2001) A legendary stone said to allow the holder to completely bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange. As with all things, however, to create a Philosopher's Stone requires the expenditure of raw materials: including human lives on a massive scale.
• Justice League (2002) Jason Blood and his alter-ego Etrigan the Demon, seek the assistance of the Justice League in preventing the Philosopher's stone from falling into the hands of his ancient enemy, the sorceress Morgaine Le Fey.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, known in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, is a 2001 fantasy/adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling. ... The Fabulous Philosophers Stone is a comics story written and drawn by Carl Barks for Walt Disney, featuring Donald Duck. ... Donald Duck is an animated cartoon and comic-book character from Walt Disney Productions. ... Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was a famous Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck (1947), Gladstone Gander (1948), the Beagle Boys (1951), Gyro Gearloose (1952) and Magica De Spell (1961). ... The Flash. ... Doctor Alchemy is a DC Comics supervillain and a rogue to the Flash II (Barry Allen). ... Parash Pathar (The Philosophers Stone, 1958) was Satyajit Rays first film apart from the Apu trilogy. ... Satyajit Ray (Bengali:  ) (May 2, 1921–April 23, 1992) was a Bengali Indian filmmaker and polymath. ... This article is about the 1999 film. ... MacGyver is an American adventure television series, produced in the United States and Canada, about the laid-back, extremely resourceful secret agent MacGyver, played by Richard Dean Anderson. ... This article is about the anime and manga, for the video game see Slayers Royal. ... The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in the United States) was a critically acclaimed and highly successful film released in 2001, based on the fantasy novel of the same name by best-selling author J.K. Rowling. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Demographic Shōnen Serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan Original run January 2001 – on going Volumes 19 TV anime Director Seiji Mizushima Studio Bones Licensor Aniplex FUNimation Entertainment Revelation films Madman Entertainment Network MBS-TBS, Animax Original run October 4, 2003 – October 2, 2004 Episodes 51 Novel Author Makoto Inoue Artist... Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. ...

Music

• The American progressive metal band Tool refer to the Philosopher's Stone on their 2001 album "Lateralus" on the opening track "The Grudge".
• The concept-album Grand Materia (2005) by the Swedish metal-band Morgana Lefay is about Nicolas Flamel and his life and how he made the Philosopher's Stone.
• Van Morrison recorded a song called "Philosophers Stone" for his 1999 album "Back on Top" which was heard in the 2000 film "Wonder Boys" and on its subsequent soundtrack. He also released an album entitled "The Philosophers Stone" on June 16th, 1998. This double CD is actually a collection of 30 previously unreleased recordings created between 1971-1988.

Progressive metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progressive rock. ... This article is about the instrument. ... Alternative cover Holographic gatefold package Lateralus (pronounced ) is the third full-length album by Tool. ... A concept album about the alchemist Nicholas Flamel and the Philosophers stone (the Grand Materia). ... Morgana Lefay (first known as Damage) is a heavy/thrash metal band from the town Bollnäs in Sweden. ... This imaginative portrait of Nicolas Flamel dates from the nineteenth century. ...

Video Games

• Zork Nemesis (1996); Charged with the task of unravelling the mystery of "The Nemesis" the player must explore an area known as the "The Forbidden Lands", set within the fictional world of Zork. The story of the game focuses heavily on alchemy, the discovery of the Quintessence, and the Philosopher's Stone.

Zork universe Zork games Zork trilogy Zork I Zork II Zork III Enchanter trilogy Enchanter Sorcerer Spellbreaker Wishbringer Beyond Zork Zork Zero Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis Zork Grand Inquisitor Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Frobozzica Miscellaneous Timeline   Calendar   Magic Double Fanucci Companies Infocom   Activision Zork: Nemesis is a 1996 graphical adventure game... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I • Zork II • Zork III Beyond Zork • Zork Zero Enchanter trilogy Enchanter • Sorcerer • Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer • Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis • Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters • Kings • Creatures Timeline • Magic • Calendar Zorkmid... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Look up Quintessence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

Azoth was considered to be a universal medicine or universal solvent sought in alchemy, its symbol was the Caduceus and so the term, which being originally a term for an occult formula sought by alchemists much like the philosophers stone, became a poetic word for the element Mercury. ... Edward Kelley, nineteenth-century portrait Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot (August 1, 1555 - 1597) was a spirit medium who worked with John Dee in his magical investigations. ... The etheric body, ether-body, æther body, or vital body is one of the subtle bodies in esoteric philosophies, in some religious teachings and in New Age thought. ... The conception of the philosophical child, allegorized as the conception of Orion by three fathers. ... For other uses, see Midas (disambiguation). ... The panacea (IPA ), named after the Greek goddess of healing, Panacea, was supposed to be a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely. ... The Net was a term in alchemy for a copper-antimony alloy, named for its crystaline net like surface separated by interstices & thought to be one step in the creation of the philosophers stone. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into sulfuric acid. ...

References

1. ^ Heindel, Max, Freemasonry and Catholicism, ISBN 0-911274-04-9
2. ^ Burt, A.L. 1885. The National Standard Encyclopedia: A Dictionary of Literature, the Sciences and the Arts, for Popular Use p. 150. Available online.
3. ^ Sebastian, Anton. 1999. A Dictionary of the History of Medicine. p. 179. ISBN 1-85070-021-4. Available online.
4. ^ Robert Briffault (1938). The Making of Humanity, p. 196-197.
5. ^ Julian Franklyn ans Frederick E. Budd. A Survey of the Occult. Electric Book Company. 2001. p. 28-30. ISBN 1843270870.
6. ^ Samael Aun Weor. Arcanum 2: The Priestess. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
7. ^ Samael Aun Weor. Final Catastrophe. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
8. ^ ^{a b} Zipes, Jack. Spells of Enchantment. New York: Viking, 1991.

Max Heindel (1865-1919) Max Heindel - born Carl Louis von Grasshoff in Aarhus, Denmark on July 23, 1865 - was a Christian occultist, astrologer, and mystic. ... Robert Briffault (1876 - 11 December 1948) was a French novelist, social anthropologist and surgeon. ... Samael Aun Weor Samael Aun Weor (March 16, 1917 - December 24, 1977) was a prolific writer, lecturer and teacher of occultism. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Samael Aun Weor Samael Aun Weor (March 16, 1917 - December 24, 1977) was a prolific writer, lecturer and teacher of occultism. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External Links

• The Philosopher's Stone by Edward Kelly