Paper short abstract:

This ethnography of a living alchemist in Pune discusses his education, processes of treating mercury and other heavy metals, and provides a few stories that should shed light on his practice.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents an ethnography of an alchemist near Pune (who requests anonymity). He was interested in alchemy early in life and studied in France and India. He models his research and practice on "philosopher's stone for metals as a correspondent to the elixir of life." He has studied the textuality of the hermetic traditions (in Old French and Latin) and homeopathy (especially the work of Rudolf Steiner). He is equally grounded in Indian alchemical and nāth traditions. Most of his present work (which has enabled him to make a very good living) is based on the transformation of sunlight and moonlight into fluids that he captures through complex equipment and catalytic compounds, which then over several months transmute into alchemical or potable gold. He deploys mercury and sulfur (or lead) as primary metals, although he has experimented with dozens of other chemical agents since he completed his "practicum" with his teacher in Gujarat in the 1980s. He deals with dangerous poisons every day, but in his sophisticated lab has learned how to control them. Every batch he produces is tested by the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune for heavy metal amounts before he exports the finished product to Europe, where it is most frequently used by pharmaceutical companies in producing their own medicines. I shall describe his studio (with the help of photos), his processes of purifying mercury, and provide a few stories of his meetings with alchemists in India from his vast storehouse of knowledge and experience.