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The Llewellyn Encyclopedia

Term: philosopher\'s stone

DEFINITIONS

Philosopher's Stone: A term used in alchemy to describe a substance that is the catalyst in the reaction that transmutes a base metal such as lead into gold. Although called a “stone,” it is probably not a stone at all. The name is used to hide the true nature of the substance. It is also believed to be an elixir that provides perfect health and great longevity or even immortality.

For some, alchemy is a metaphor for increasing spirituality. In this case the philosopher’s stone is the result of purifying the self with years of prayer, meditation, and focusing on the spiritual rather than the physical world.

Philosopher's Stone: The goal of alchemical work, a substance that brings good health and long life to those who ingest it.
source: The Thoth Companion, by Michael Osiris Snuffin


ARTICLES

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Norse Gods & Goddesses
Partial List of the Norse Gods, Goddesses & Other Supernatural Beings Their Lore, Powers & Influence The Names of the deities are in the old Norse language while the Rune names are in German. (Note: Many of the correspondences given in ...
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The Message from Stone: Stone & Rock Divination
The lessons of quantum physics and its new kid on the block, holographic theory, are that all things are connected through the energy that infuses the universe and all it contains. According to scientists, 90% of the universe is unknown - meaning ...
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Litha Ritual
Setup Items for the Litha Ritual include: Six candles for the altar; A basket of cut flowers; enough to lay out your circle (there can be space in between them); A basket of marigolds; Drums, rattles and other percussion instruments. If working solo ...
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Quartz Crystals
Why use quartz crystals? What is it about them above all other stones that makes them so special? Quartz crystals have been used since ancient times as powerful healing objects and meditation tools, and to make medicinal elixirs. Wise adepts have ...
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Review of The Quest Tarot
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The Esbats
People began tracking time approximately 27,000 years ago by marking the 13 annual lunations of the moon. Around 8,000 years ago, people erected great stone monuments such as Stonehenge and massive alignments of standing stones that did more than ...
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Uses of Crystals
Perhaps the greatest value of crystals is their use in healing. They have long been known for their curative effects when used in the preparation of tinctures; for their protective characteristics when worn as amulets and talismans; and for their ...
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Concise Dream Symbol Dictionary
This concise dictionary was developed by Dr. Joe H. Slate and is excerpted from Chapter Seven of The Llewellyn Complete Book of Psychic Empowerment. The interpretative significance of a dream symbol depends on a number of factors; among them, the ...
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The Realms
According to ancient Celtic beliefs, three main realms co-exist: an Underworld associated with the past, an earthly realm of the middle world associated with manifested reality, and an Upperworld associated with potential reality and all possible ...
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Whatever your background is, it's bound to happen to you: the scary paranormal case. We're not talking about your run-of-the-mill haunting here. We're talking portal hauntings, negative entities, and bad earthbound spirits—in a nutshell, things that scare us! These cases usually start out as a seemingly routine investigation; then, somewhere... read this article
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