Jun 7, 2026 07:41 PM
The ancient Scandinavians believed that a great serpent gnawed away at the roots of a tree uniting heaven and earth, the Yggdrasil. Mythology was ancient man's way of explaining the world. The cognitive practices of science had to disregard mythology in order to set up an independent existence, or so Jordan B. Peterson believes. They also believed that Skoll and Hati, two great wolves or "cosmic forces", chased the sun and moon and caused them to have an eclipse when caught.
Newton was convinced that "God had imparted the secrets of natural philosphy and true religion to a select few".
The prima materia was seen as the chaos preceding creation. And it was the job of the alchemist to release Mercurius, the spirit, from matter. In doing so, matter would "transmute" into gold.
Alchemy is now dismissed as mere primitive science, specifically chemistry. But what if Newton's Alchemy possessed true secrets that could advance humankind? I would like to follow in Newton's footsteps and see what Alchemy could bring.