N othing is T rue, E verything is P ermitted Alchemy - The word is derived from the Arabian phrase " al - kimia ," which refers to the preparation of the Stone or Elixir by the Egyptians. The Arabic root " kimia " comes from the Coptic " khem " that alluded to the fertile black soil of the Nile. Esoterically and hieroglyphically , the word refers to the dark mystery of the primordial or First Matter (the Khem ), the One Thing through which all creation manifests. Alchemy , then, is the Great Work of nature that perfects this matter, whether it be expressed as the metals, the cosmos, or the substance of our souls. In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it. - Ernst Fischer From my understanding up until this point, the true alchemist is one who takes on the G reat Work which means to bear the torch of the