Basically, an alchemist (alquimista in Spanish) is a person who is engaged in or practices alchemy. Another definition speaks of a person who works in the experimentation of possible transformations of matter.
SYNONYMS FOR Alquimista
- Magician
- Sorcerer
- Blacksmith
- Philosopher
- Chemist
- Physicist
- Spiritualist
- Astrologer
ORIGIN OF Alquimista
The alchemist is the person who is in charge of doing alchemy. The word alchemy comes from the Arabic language, specifically from the word al-khimiya which refers to the philosopher’s stone.
The RAE defines alchemy as the set of speculations and experiences, of esoteric character, related to the transmutations of matter, which influenced the origin of chemical science.
On the other hand, it is believed that the origin comes from the Greek, specifically in the verb chemia, which means “mixture of liquids” and from there the Arabs took it to create the aforementioned term.
That is why alchemy is an esoteric belief that is linked to the transmutation of matter, since the practices and experiences of alchemy were determinant for the development of chemistry.
It is also known that alchemists sought the philosopher’s stone to transform any metal into gold. It should be noted that alchemy is considered a proto-science or a philosophical discipline that is the antecedent of chemistry, astrology, physics, metallurgy, art and spiritualism.
CURIOSITIES OF Alquimista
Alchemists were trained in schools of alchemy that were popular for 2,500 years in Mesopotamia, China, India, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
These are the true antecedents of today’s universities and specialized schools. Today there is also a rediscovery of alchemy in terms of its subject matter and practice by exposing them in various movies and anime.