The Alchemist's Handbook: A Practical Manual (Weiser Classics Series)

This is a great book to better understand the overview of alchemy. A good place to be if you are interested in the ways of alchemy.

As a neophyte to the Royal Art, I found this book to be exceedingly, in the words of Israel Regardie, worth it's weight in gold. If you've even a smidgen of interest when it comes to practical Alchemy, this book has all you need, as a beginner in the Royal Art, when it comes to the proper Spagryical operations.Alchemist's Handbook has all the information you're going to need to master the Prima Materia, using modern equipment. From how to collect various plant materials and how to prepare them, to the Astrological correspondences of plants and metals and the proper ciphers and glyphs, this book is perfect for the aspiring Alchemist.My only criticism is the lack of description when it comes to traditional, Alchemical apparatus and how to use them. Though, this will only be a concern with those of a more traditional mindset.Some books I recommend picking-up along with this book are Alchemical Guide to Herbs & Food, Alchemy Reference Guide, and A Time For Magick.

The Alchemist's Handbook by Frater Albertus is quite possibly the greatest and most concise piece of work on practical laboratory Alchemy known to man. Within a mere 124 pages, the author explains in detail the processes by which any would-be Alchemist may create herbal elixers. The process is simple and can be learned quickly and inexpensively. Mastering the Great Art that is Alchemy, however, takes significantly longer (I myself have been practicing for many years and still have not touched its surface). Frater Albertus does not, thankfully, fall into a deep and penatrating discussion of each elixer and its properties(of which there would be thousands), but rather explains how to create them and leaves the aspiring Alchemist to practice, study, ponder and create. In doing so, he insures that those who would like to venture into the Great Art have the capacity to learn it for themselves.

Why not 5 stars?For two reasons:1) Alchemy (The Weiser Concise Guide Series) by Brian Cotnoir is a better introduction, although, wisely, it contains little about the "Great Work".2) The author, Frater Albertus, includes theosophistic (source: Mme H. P. Blavatsky et al) confusion like the notion of literal "re-incarnation", something of a "New Age" dogma but, alas, an erroneous 19th century amalgamation of the two traditional doctrines of metemphychosis and transmigration.The last sections of the book, beginning with Chapter VII, "Wisdom of the Sages", are NOT superfluous but on the contrary contain several strong hints and useful warnings about certain materials and processes of the Great Work.The section "Alchemy and Philosophy" in the Conclusion is truly outstanding, showing how some of the theories of modern chemistry can be usefully, harmoniously and seamlessly integrated into the traditional framework of hermetic philosophy and alchemy.

A place to start

93 this book should not be judges by the size or cover .. this is a outstanding liber for the practical info to attain the philosophers stone and the K& C of thy own H.G.A, get this its worth it 93/93

I kind of understand what the author was going for here but it's still very misleading. I wouldn't dare call it a "handbook".. more so a book of Alchemical rambling and Kabbalah nonsense. Out of 124 pages maybe 10 or 12 contain any sort information about Alchemical equipment and symbols. That being said, for someone interested in Alchemy it's still worth a read. There's still good information and some good insights to be found. If you're looking for a "how to" book then be warned that this isn't it

This is a great beginner's book into the art of practical alchemy. It gives advice on how to set up a practical alchemical lab using widely available apparatus, and how to get started with the Lesser Circulation (herbals). Also included is a great overview of the Magnum Opus of alchemy. A must-have on any alchemist's shelf, or for anyone interested in alchemy.