I heard about alchemy on that weird cartoon that appears on adult swim, but later I found out that it was something that is suppose to be serious, from what I learned alchemy is a science/magic system, and the purpose of it was to find a way to turn base metal into gold, and to create an elixer of life.... But is this a real system of magic? if so, will somebody plz gimme a link so that I can learn some more about it? Maybe even a few spells if possible. 

[Phantom X]

*cools down*

Fullmetal Alchemist is awesome, but doesnt even come close to reality, atleast not on  this side of the gate. (Crappy joke, you would have to have seen the series to get it) Anyways, real alchemy is only about the magic of science and no one else. Its base soley off the legends of turning lead into gold and, I believe, it is a reality. I do believe they attempted it and were sucessful, but the cost was far greater than the reward.

A word of warning for you, noob. Do not let your magick be powered by greed, or it will come back 3 fold.

Alchemy is about transforming nature in order to understand how to transform man. A symbolic transformation of "base", "unripe" metals into gold is really about understanding the precise philosophical steps required to transform man's body into the gold of perfect health and immortality and his soul into the spiritual gold of complete understanding of, and perfect union with, the "mystical reality" or, in some cases, with God.

Alchemy has its roots in ancient astrology. Both astrology and alchemy assume that what goes on in the cosmos generally has significance for man; astrology focuses more on the stars and alchemy more on terrestrial affairs, although there is quite a bit of overlap. Alchemy appears to be a nearly universal phenomenon in all human cultures, although there are a number of regional differences in details. Western European alchemy was the one most concerned with the transformation of base metals into gold and in the discovery or manufacture of the "philosopher's stone" or universal tincture by which the transformation of any alchemical step might be achieved instantly (including the steps that lead to perfect health, immortality, and mystical union), sort of like a mystical "catalyst." Chinese alchemy stressed more the idea of an elixir of immortality, at least until Bhuddism took hold and offered another path to it (and quite a number of emperors died from alchemical concoctions, making both emperors and alchemists more cautious); in India it was used more as a means to heal specific diseases; Arabic alchemy, based on a collection of writings assumed to be penned by "Hermes Trismegistos," was much more interested in the actual physical production of gold.

Through my studies the exact supposed formula for the philospher's stone is salt, sulfur and mercury

The clue is in the name... The "philosopher's" stone is not a real substance at all, it is a spiritual and intellectual ideal, a state of being; akin to, but not the same as, Buddhist elightenment. Alchemists disguised their gnosticism behind the rather complex sounding chemical processes, and knew that very few would be able to see beyond their personal greed (talk of gold and elixiirs of life makes people very greedy) to the spiritual secrets.

[jordyn]

The clue is in the name... The "philosopher's" stone is not a real substance at all, it is a spiritual and intellectual ideal, a state of being; akin to, but not the same as, Buddhist elightenment. Alchemists disguised their gnosticism behind the rather complex sounding chemical processes, and knew that very few would be able to see beyond their personal greed (talk of gold and elixiirs of life makes people very greedy) to the spiritual secrets.

if you lived forever, you wouldn't need to make gold...and what's the point of living forever if everything else dies?

well ininfinite wealth for one bad reason

[Necropolis]

The clue is in the name... The "philosopher's" stone is not a real substance at all, it is a spiritual and intellectual ideal, a state of being; akin to, but not the same as, Buddhist elightenment. Alchemists disguised their gnosticism behind the rather complex sounding chemical processes, and knew that very few would be able to see beyond their personal greed (talk of gold and elixiirs of life makes people very greedy) to the spiritual secrets.

You left out the other quest the one of the Homonculus. Afterall this is a MOnster forum and you missed out an oppurtunity to digress into the subjects of Frankenstiens Monster, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Reanimator. Chcuky is voodoo not aclhemy but I am sure you could stretch the concept. I would But I am busy, If DV hasn't explained (he seems to be a good orator) then I'll explain about them as best I can. But later.

[Phantom X]

But what of the good Alchemists? The ones who wanted the stone for science and wealth? Personally, I think the good ones lost themselves in greed when all they really wanted was to be able to use the stone to transfer things from the diffrent stages of matter.

[Necropolis]

A Homunculus is a person made from various different things to be basically an organic golem. Kept and raised to be a servant usually sometimes to be their child. In legend it always ended badly, but still the quest continued. The philosophy behind the humonculus is to bring Life to the Inamite or Dead.
What you mist understand though is that Alchemey is a Spiritual Science, not only that but it is considered to be the Parent of Science, this I am not too sure about, because it seems in many way science is just alchemey without the Spiritualism, instead of the Humonculus we have the robot, instead of Transedance we have genetics. Science has changed the desire to be like god into the desire to become the Ubermensch (it means Superman its from Nihilism).