▁civil is ations , ▁and ▁the ▁transformation ▁of ▁met als ▁has ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁em blem atic ▁acts . ▁But ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁" ph il osoph ers ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁fire " ▁is ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁mere ▁trans mut ation ▁of ▁lead ▁into ▁gold ; ▁it ▁is ▁indeed ▁a ▁philosophy , ▁which ▁most ▁often ▁takes ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁an ▁" ex perimental ▁met aph ys ics ", ▁and ▁which ▁has ▁also ▁given ▁birth ▁to ▁a ▁language — the ▁Cab ala — and ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁flor ile g ium ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁symbols . ▁A rom at ico ▁expl ores ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁this ▁comp ound ▁of ▁science ▁and ▁myth , ▁exam ining ▁ancient ▁texts ▁and ▁ill umin ated ▁manuscript s ▁to ▁shed ▁light ▁on ▁an ▁en ig m atic ▁science ▁of ▁sp ells , ▁cer emon ies , ▁and ▁secret ▁belief s . ▁ ▁Selected ▁publications ▁▁ ▁With ▁Marcel la ▁Per uz zi , ▁Medic amenti , ▁po zioni ▁e ▁inc antes imi ▁del ▁Ric et ario ▁Mag ico ▁Ur bin ate , ▁Ro che , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁ ▁Al ch im ia : ▁l ’ oro ▁della ▁con osc enza , ▁collection ▁« Univers ale ▁Elect a / G all im ard » ▁( n º ▁ 8 6 ), ▁serie ▁Storia ▁e ▁civ ilt à . ▁ 1 7 6 ▁pages . ▁Elect a / G all im ard , ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁ ▁Al ch im ie , ▁le ▁grand ▁secret ,