The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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The Alchemistby Paulo Coelho
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What is alchemy?
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What is alchemy?

• Alchemy was a precursor to chemistry.
• Alchemy was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece,
  Rome, China, India, the Middle East, and Europe
  and was prevalent through the 18th century.
• Alchemy began to decline when modern scientific
  thought began to become prevalent during the Age
  of Enlightenment.

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What did alchemists do?
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What did alchemists do?

• Before modern science, alchemists attempted to
  study the chemical nature and the properties of
  substances.
• They also tested and refined ore, did metalwork,
  produced inks and dyes, ceramics and glass, and
  medicines.

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But what are the really COOL things alchemists
did?
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But what are the really cool things alchemists
did?

• Alchemists are believed to know the secret of
  transmuting metals into gold.
• Allegedly had The Elixir of Life to cure all
  diseases and prolong life.
• The Philosophers Stone (aka the Sorcerers
  Stone) was a necessary substance for both goals.

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Do I know any alchemists?

• Isaac Newton was an alchemiston the cusp of
  modern science.

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Do I know any OTHER alchemists?

• Nicolas Flamel (1330-1470) was reputed to have
  found the Philosophers Stone.

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How does alchemy relate to The Alchemist ?

• When physical alchemy began to decline, spiritual
  alchemy began to take over.
• The transmutation of metals and the Elixir of
  Life became symbols for transformation from
  imperfect, ephemeral and corruptible state to a
  perfect, everlasting, and incorruptible state.
• The Philosophers Stone became a symbol for the
  key to that transformation.

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How ELSE do they relate. . .?

• Alchemy and The Alchemist are both about
  transformation or change.
• In the story, Santiago, the main character,
  undergoes a Heros Journey, a Rite of Passage
  that changes him.
• The journey changes not only his physical
  location, but his actual person.
• At the end of the journey, he has become mature
  and complete.

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One other really important connection
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One other really important connection

• The Emerald Tablet
• From ancient Egypt forms the basis of Western
  Alchemy.

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• In truth certainly and without doubt, whatever
  is below is like that which is above, and
  whatever is above is like that which is below, to
  accomplish the miracles of one thing.
• What??!!
• Humans and the universe are connected all things
  affect one another.