On Alchemy: Essential Practices and Making Art as Alchemy

by Brian Cotnoir

“There's no sounder or more sage guide to alchemy – the practice and the philosophy – than Brian Cotnoir. This wise, lucidly-written book … offers explanations and exercises that will be of immeasurable help to anyone hoping to navigate this enormous field.” - Sukhdev Sandhu

Alchemy is both the art of transmuting base metal into gold and a powerful metaphor for spiritual transformation and creativity. This simple guide contains all you need to know to become an alchemist – to decode the most complex alchemical texts, to unite your inner spiritual work with your outer work, and to take up laboratory alchemy if you so wish.

Whether you are a beginner intrigued about the possibility of spiritually enriching your life and creativity, or a practising alchemist looking for the key to difficult texts, On Alchemy invites you to embark on a profound journey of personal change. It is full of meditations, visualizations and other practices to guide you on your way, from using geometry to purify your inner eye, to questioning the gods in your dreams, to using a circulation and distillation apparatus.

Genres: Alchemy, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Art, Mysticism

120 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Collin Chrenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, practical, and simple entry into alchemical practices.

[Yasmeen Jabri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pray. Read, read, read, re-read, work and you will discover.

[Vasilis Stefanou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish more books would emulate this one. Concise in nature without pointless extras words and straight to the point with clear explanations. Moreover, it is poetic at times and has some beautiful illustrations. Additionally, it provides space for contemplation and takes the reader through practices. I recommend it!

[Farida Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. Presents the esoteric art of Alchemy into an easy to understand, lighthearted way. This book will help you align your thoughts and help you become more productive in a creative pursuit. Its transformative without being complicated.

[Said Osio · Rating 5 out of 5]

pathways into a word seen and unseen. This is a map into both the compass is the soul with Brian Cotnoir masterful work

As in the great style of Borges or Hesse the journey awaits when the call is heard and the passage opens. The guide is embedded in this work

[wen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. It's straight to the point without any extra 'fluff', it's a fast read, I loved the presentation and format. I will be re-reading as recommended by the author. I will also be checking out his other works.

[Mitchell Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like a book to come back to. There’s a lot of concepts here but it also seeks to encourage our own search within the world of alchemy.

[Lythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable little book and so so helpful

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book of his. I do recommend to read practical alchemy (by the same author) before this one.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

No real reference on making ‘art as alchemy’. More so says to do a bit of this and a big of that and is extremely short without getting into anything specific in relation to art. I’d give it a miss.

[Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The enthralling pages of this book held me the entire way through. The illustrations added hearth and ease to an already intensely long subject. Our author described everything beautifully and with the simplicity of a seasoned philosopher. It held my interest but also my mind. It’s a fantastic way to get someone more involved and knowledgeable about a subject. I can’t wait to reread and find more written by him! If you’d like to actually learn something while just purely enjoying yourself, this is the one.