Alchemical Mercury: A Theory of Ambivalence

by Karen Pinkus

How can we account, in a rigorous way, for alchemy's ubiquity? We think of alchemy as the transformation of a base material (usually lead) into gold, but "alchemy" is a word in wide circulation in everyday life, often called upon to fulfill a metaphoric duty as the magical transformation of materials. Almost every culture and time has had some form of alchemy. This book looks at alchemy, not at any one particular instance along the historical timeline,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804760322
• ISBN13: 9780804760324
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"