★★★ ½
Alchemists, even today, are often misrepresented as kooky, Merlin-like sorcerers. It’s an association that bears some truth, though…
Alchemy is often referred to as the precursor to chemistry and has been a source of fascination and intrigue for hundreds of years.
Turning lead into gold was certainly a piece of the alchemical puzzle, and a few legendary alchemists are even believed to have successfully created gold, but there’s a lot more to alchemy.
This book begins by describing what alchemy is and how it relates to the various elements.
It then delves into the Great Work of Alchemy – a central theme to many alchemists.
From there the book talks about the inner-workings of alchemy, from its relation to the planets and other key aspects.
…the three dominant forms of alchemy today: mental, spiritual and physical…
Throughout the book, there were tie-ins to the modern version of alchemy – from journaling activities to focusing the mind.
I really liked the illustrations and images that tied in to the history of alchemy.
I only really know of alchemy from references here and there in other books (hello Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), so it was cool to separate the fact from fiction in this case.
I also thought it was interesting how the author tied various activities to the forms of alchemy today (mental/spiritual/physical).
Overall, this one felt good but it was missing that sparkle a bit – it felt a bit dry at times and I wish there was more oomph to the book.
A huge thank you to Rockridge Press, Callisto Publisher’s Club and Sarah Durn for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Interested in this one from Sarah Durn? Buy it here: Amazon
Miranda Reads 