Signs, Symbols, Secrets: an illustrated guide to alchemy

Science Museum, Kensington

Seond Suggested duration: 15 mins

Opening Dates: Fri 27 Apr 2012 - Sat 27 Apr 2013

Cost: Free

The quest for the philosophers’ stone was a major preoccupation of the early modern world. This precious substance was said to transform base metals into silver and gold, heal sickness, and unlock the mysteries of God and nature. Its recipe was a closely guarded secret and a bewildering array of signs and symbols were used, both figuratively and allegorically, to convey key processes and ideas in the search for the fabled stone. This exhibition follows the theme of a recipe using the same sources devised and decoded by the alchemists themselves.

The exhibition displays 22 of the most striking images from the rich collection of the Science Museum’s Library & Archives. Dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, these works reveal the power and intricacy of alchemical art, whilst allowing us to attempt an interpretation of the hidden meanings behind the symbols.

At the heart of the exhibition is a newly discovered manuscript: a Ripley scroll. These rare scrolls include some of the most complex and fascinating alchemical imagery in existence. For the first time, this object can be viewed alongside selected texts and images from the Museum’s collections.Its rich symbolism offers clues – both practical and theoretical – for the creation of the philosophers’ stone
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Only 23 Ripley scrolls are known to exist. This one dates from the 18th century and is the most recently discovered. Scholars believe that all the surviving examples are copies and variations upon a lost 15th-century original. They are named after the famous English alchemist George Ripley, although there is no evidence that Ripley designed the scrolls himself. The scrolls range in size, but are all too long to be viewed and understood in a single glance. Scholars are still investigating how they are meant to be read and used. It is possible that the original scroll was created for a wealthy patron interested in alchemy. Over time, the scrolls have become prized for the quality of their imagery.

Three events  on Sunday  23 October 2011 

6.0 pm THE HEALING VOICE

Jill Purce

This experiential lecture - including chant, mantra and overtone chanting -will explore how sound and the voice have been understood and used in different traditions not only as a description of cosmic creation and resonance but as one of the most effective ways to balance the mind and body and ultimately achieve enlightenment. The voice was used to re-enchant , which literally means to make magical through chant. Jill demonstrates how we can empower our lives by using our voice to release a uniquely powerful energy which can be used for physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual healing. By freeing the voice in certain ways it is possible to find physical health and emotional joy and spiritual ecstasy.

Jill Purce, international lecturer and author, pioneered the international sound healing movement through her discovery of ancient vocal techniques, the power of group chant and the spiritual potential of the voice as a magical instrument for healing and meditation.
£8, £6 concessions. Arranged by the Foundation for Theosophical Studies

4.45pm THEOSOPHY: HIGHWAY TO SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Introductory Course on the Ageless Wisdom, with Edward Archer

Sunday afternoons 18 September – 4 December, 4.45 – 5.45 pm

An informal session in which the basic teachings of the Divine Wisdom are explored and discussed. Everybody on this planet is in the Great School of Life - of spiritual development. Over the weeks we shall look at the great hidden truths which make sense of our lives and which gives them purpose. This is a basic grounding in The Eternal Mysteries, and it has absolutely no strings attached! The book The Key To Theosophy is recommended for newcomers.

Leader: Edward Archer, who has been a member of the Theosophical Society in England for 35 years.
Free admission. Arranged by Foundation for Theosophical Studies.

And
10.0-4.30 Astrological Lodge of London:2011 History Seminar 

Nicolas Campion – the History of Astrology Today, Kim Farnell – Strange Case of Dr Lambe, Anna Estoroth,- Ancient Egyptian Astrology, Clair Chandler – Astrological Symbolism in the Greek Magical Papyri.

AL Members £30; non-Members £40 - pay on the door. 
  
http://www.astrolodge.co.uk/diary/2011-history-seminar