THE FIRST ALCHEMISTS by Tobias Churton

Tobias Churton is a great author for highly readable yet well-researched accounts of historical figures involved in spiritual work or of esoteric movements or moments in history. In his latest book he describes the early alchemists, usually operating in the classical world, like Zosimos of Panopolis and Theosebeia, who both lived in Egypt. It’s serious and not full of knockabout anecdotes, but in learning about this phase of history, we learn more about esoteric inquiry and the foundations of both chemistry and the occult. We also learn a lot in a conversational way about a subject that can be quite challenging. The secrecy that surrounded their work helped give the lustre or mystery to what’s known as The Royal Art.

320pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2024, RRP £25.00