| Abstract: | Historians have been revising the contribution made by alchemists to the Scientific Revolution, noting that alchemy was far more than a prelude to the development of modern chemistry. The present study reexamines alchemy's history, beginning with an unusual fifth-dynasty Egyptian painting located in the tomb of Queen Nefertari. The image shows two major male deities, Ra and Osiris, merged together forming a mysterium coniunctionis. This painting foretells a problem that still exists today: a disharmony in the balance between masculine and feminine principles. A review of relevant ancient Egyptian mythology and literature brings to light several new findings: First, mummification was an early preconscious form of alchemy that significantly pushes back the date of its origin. Secondly, Osiris and other prominent Egyptian gods eventually emerged as archetypes, and together with their respective myths, developed into alchemical recipes. And finally, the notion that alchemy “died” with the advent of Newtonian physics is not supported by major historical events in the 19th and 20th centuries. Modern science still stops short of including the feminine principle in its work. There are, however, signs of growing awareness of the problem, most notably in the Jung–Pauli conjecture, and subsequent interest in a more balanced approach in science, religion, and medicine. Nonetheless, as unprecedented challenges continue to threaten the modern world, retrieving ancient wisdom and integrating it into the corpus of contemporary science are needed now more than ever. |
