In the Neo-Hermeticist interpretation, both the transmutation of common metals into gold and the universal panacea are held to symbolize evolution from an imperfect, diseased, corruptible, and ephemeral state toward a perfect, healthy, incorruptible, and everlasting state, so the philosopher's stone then represented a mystic key that would make this evolution possible.
ɪnðə nˈiːoʊhɜːmˈɛɾɪsˌɪst ɪntˌɜːpɹɪtˈeɪʃən, bˈoʊθ ðə tɹænsmjuːtˈeɪʃən ʌv kˈɑːmən mˈɛɾəlz ˌɪntʊ ɡˈoʊld ænd ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsəl pˌænɐsˈiːə ɑːɹ hˈɛld tə sˈɪmbəlˌaɪz ˌɛvəlˈuːʃən fɹʌm ɐn ɪmpˈɜːfɛkt, dɪzˈiːzd, kɚɹˈʌptᵻbəl, ænd ɪfˈɛmɚɹəl stˈeɪt təwˈɔːɹd ɐ pˈɜːfɛkt, hˈɛlθi, ɪŋkɚɹˈʌptᵻbəl, ænd ˌɛvɚlˈæstɪŋ stˈeɪt, sˌoʊ ðə fɪlˈɑːsəfɚz stˈoʊn ðˈɛn ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntᵻd ɐ mˈɪstɪk kˈiː ðæt wʊd mˌeɪk ðɪs ˌɛvəlˈuːʃən pˈɑːsᵻbəl.