Book excerpt: Considered the precursor to chemistry, the field of alchemy stretches back to ancient history, and as it evolved, became inevitably entangled with witchcraft and magic. To keep their work secret and protect it from theft, alchemists wrote in fascinating and sometimes intricate symbols representing every element, substance, compound, process, unit and intervention. These markings are esoteric in nature and historically important, being that together, they hold the potential for the key to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone itself. Understand the concepts of Magnus Opus, Prima Materia, Tria Prima, Classical Elements, Seven Planetary Metals and Ritualistic Magic in alchemy, together with a multitude of alchemical symbols within this book, suitable for people new to the field of alchemy.