..in a way i think Newton reflects a Balanced man of Knowledge..'left and right handed'..not skewed either way..hence his genius..Da Vinci was similar..

jamie's point about various alchemical traditions is good..Vedic, Egyptian etc..these are not simply about 'base metals'..this is the obsession, or code rather, of European alchemy..in a climate where herbalists/witches were burned..also those who defended them..

adam wrote:

..extactly..this was what i was alluding to when i mentioned that european alchemical texts (or post Roman Christian rather) were secretive and alluding..

inquisitor: "what are you doing with all that stuff?"

alchemist: "oh, finding a way to turn metals into gold..for the king of course.."

inquistor: "well, that's alright then..as long as there's no magic or pagan stuff, or any belief system outside the church's!"

..somewhere along the way, much of the original purpose may have been lost..and people really tried to turn metals into gold..but the wise knew this wasn't possible (in a literal sense)

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