Table Of ContentT
he Alchemist’s Handbook has long been an essential contribution
to the study of Alchemy since its fi rst publication in 1960. It still
stands as a groundbreaking work presenting in clear, concise lan-
guage a practical manual of working knowledge that was formerly handed
down under oath of secrecy. Th e scope of alchemical work is to provide
both a means to synthesize all the other sciences and the necessary training
of the intellectual and spiritual faculties.
“Th e teachings of Frater Albertus are part of a lineage that traces back
to Rosicrucian sources and much earlier, and Th e Alchemist’s Handbook
is still the best introduction to that lineage. If you feel the call of
Alchemy and want real information on the subject, this is defi nitely
the book you will want to read, reread, and read again. It may just
turn out to be the book that changes your life.”
—from the foreword by Robert Allen Bartlett, author of Real Alchemy
Th e Alchemist’s Handbook discusses in detail:
(cid:31) Th e basic fundamental principles of Alchemy
(cid:31) A guide to the formation of an inexpensive home laboratory with
illustrations of the necessary equipment
(cid:31) Step-by-step instructions for the work of the lesser circulation,
the alchemical transformation within the plant kingdom
Frater Albertus Spagyricus(Dr. Albert Richard Riedel, 1911–1984)
was founder of the Paracelsus Research Society in Salt Lake City, which
later evolved into Paracelsus College. Based on the Paracelsian concept of
three essentials, Body, Soul, and Spirit, Frater Albertus developed a system
of teaching alchemical concepts using the spagyric technique of separation
and cohobation, or repeated distillation. Th e unique gradated courses allow
students to explore aspects of the vegetable, mineral, and animal kingdoms
in an understandable and accessible way. Frater Albertus had a profound
eff ect on the way Alchemy and particularly the spagyric method was dis-
seminated and understood in the mid- to late twentieth century.
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The Weiser Classics series off ers essential works
from renowned authors and spiritual teachers, foundational
texts, as well as introductory guides on an array of topics. Th e
series represents the full range of subjects and genres that
have been part of Weiser’s over sixty-year-long publishing
program—from divination and magick to alchemy and occult
philosophy. Each volume in the series will whenever possible
include new material from its author or a contributor and
other valuable additions and will be printed and produced
using acid-free paper in a durable paperback binding.
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A Practical Manual
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This edition first published in 2022 by Weiser Books, an imprint of
Red Wheel/Weiser, llc
With offices at:
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright © 1974, 2022 by The estate of Frater Albertus
Foreword copyright © 1974, 2022 by Israel Regardie
Foreword copyright © 2022 by Robert Allen Bartlett
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, llc. Reviewers
may quote brief passages. First published in 1960 by the Paracelsus Research Society. Revised and
expanded edition first published in 1974 by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, ISBN: 978-0-87728-655-8. This
Weiser Classics edition includes a new foreword.
ISBN: 978-1-57863-765-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.
Series Editors
Mike Conlon, Production Director, Red Wheel/Weiser Books
Judika Illes, Editor-at-Large, Weiser Books
Peter Turner, Associate Publisher, Weiser Books
Series Design
Kathryn Sky-Peck, Creative Director, Red Wheel/Weiser
Typeset in Arno Pro
Cover image adapted from Mutus Liber, plate 6, by Isaac Baulot [Genevae? s.n. ?, 1702]
Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division
Printed in the United States of America
IBI
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
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Contents
Foreword, by Israel Regardie ..................................ix
Foreword, by Robert Allen Bartlett .......................... xiii
Preface to the First Edition .................................xvii
Preface to the Second Revised Edition ....................... xxi
Chapter I. Introduction to Alchemy ..............................1
Chapter II. The Lesser Circulation ..............................13
Chapter III. The Herbal Elixir ..................................23
Chapter IV. Medicinal Uses .....................................35
Chapter V. Herbs and Stars .....................................41
Chapter VI. Symbols in Alchemy ...............................53
Chapter VII. Wisdom of the Sages ..............................63
Conclusion ................................................105
Appendix .................................................125
Alchemical Manifesto ......................................129
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Foreword
by Israel Regardie
This is the age of “how to do it” books. There is one on almost
any subject you can think of. Since they fill a variety of needs,
they have proven a boon. From them you can learn to paint,
sew, plant a herb garden, build a brick barbecue in the backyard, become
an interior decorator, and rewire your own home. Almost every imagin-
able topic has been covered by these books. So if you assumed that this
Manual falls in this category, you would be right—save for the simple
fact that it is a great deal more.
Alchemy has exerted a strange fascination over mankind for centuries.
The underlying philosophical theorem was that if the Divine Will had
originally acted upon the prima materia to produce the precious metals
and all else, why should not the alchemist—purified in mind and body
and an expert in the then-known laboratory techniques—seek to emu-
late the same natural process in a shorter span of time? One has only to
read a good history of chemistry, or to peruse a little of the vast alchem-
ical literature, to become aware of its awful seductiveness. Men have left
homes and families, squandered fortunes, incurred sickness and disease,
gambled away prestige, social, and other positions in quest of the goals
perceived in the alchemical dream—longevity, perfect health, and the
ability to transmute base metals into gold.
One must not be deluded by superficialities here. The alchemi-
cal adepts were patently dedicated and God-fearing men, holding the
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