Spagyrics: A Practical Course in Plant Alchemy

Since the days of the Paracelsus Research Society founded by German-American alchemist Frater Albertus in 1959, no other organization, association or educational institution has equaled its quality or its influence in the study and practice of that most ancient and noble Art & Science of alchemy in the 20th and 21st centuries; none, save but one: Les Philosophes de la Nature—the Philosophers of Nature.

Founded in 1979 by French esotericist Jean Dubuis (1919-2010), its alchemical teachings based upon the personal work of the founder as well as the teachings of Italian alchemist Augusto Pancaldi and Frater Albertus, among others, Les Philosophes de la Nature (LPN) caused such a stir in the alchemical community that soon, the former students and alumni of the Paracelsus Research Society/Paracelsus College heard of this French group dedicated to the study, practice and research of the esoteric sciences, in particular the Royal Art. The LPN and its founder were quickly approached with the sincere desire to translate the lessons and, with them, form an American “branch” of the association.

Since the establishing of LPN-USA, later renamed the Philosophers of Nature (PON), the courses of the group have been considered the body of alchemical teachings which picked up where that of Frater Albertus and his school left off—and then ran even further with it, at that. It not only filled the hole left after the passing of Albertus and thus the unsure future of what he had built, it also became one of the most influential and most avidly studied sources of genuine alchemical teachings. Today, any alchemist worth his/her Salt is thoroughly familiar with the teachings of the LPN/PON and a significant number among these individuals are or have, at some point, been students of precisely this material.

Most regrettably, both the original French association and its American sister group are no more; but luckily, the lessons remain and thus continue to educate and influence practitioners of the Royal Art today. Now, however, these teachings are being presented to the world in a new incarnation. For the first time since the founding of the LPN in France, the 48 lessons on plant alchemy distributed to the members of the PON are here being made available in printed & bound form; and not only have they been edited to suit book format, everything has also been “updated” to this new incarnation of the LPN/PON legacy by way of graphic reconstruction of its figures as well as introduction of new figures, past errors have been corrected and several new appendices and explanatory sections have been added to enlighten matters further.

This “upgrade” along with the additional material has been at the hands of Lenny Pedersen, himself a practicing alchemist who has, for years, been a dedicated solitary student of the PON teachings. He has likewise provided the work with copious footnotes to provide sources wherever possible, editorial and translational remarks as well as general comments on the material covered, all while making sure that the original text remained as undisturbed and as true to what was originally intended as possible.

The publication of Spagyrics: A Practical Course in Plant Alchemy sets a new marker in alchemical literature and hopefully this book will, for decades to come, serve as the foundation text for the would-be alchemist.