The Alchemy Of It All
The Alchemy of It All is a podcast about transformation in every sense of the word. Host Fiona Meiklejohn explores how human beings across cultures and centuries have turned the raw material of life into something greater, through psychology, spirituality, philosophy, science and all forms of art.
From the myths of creation to the music of the spheres, from medieval mystics to modern neuroscience, every fortnight Fiona dives into the ideas, stories, and practices that have shaped how we change, grow, and make meaning.
This is a space for listeners who crave depth, context, and wonder. Each episode is an invitation to explore the human story as alchemy in motion, and is a reminder that transformation is always possible, and is the one true constant in our shared human experience.
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the unceded land on which I work, learn and live, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be.
The Alchemy Of It All
What Is Alchemy, Really? From Ancient Egypt to Carl Jung and Beyond
Alchemy is often remembered as a pseudoscience, as medieval mystics and chancers trying to turn lead into gold. But its true legacy runs much deeper, and is one of humanity’s oldest metaphors for change: turning the raw material of life into meaning, wisdom, and enlightenment.
In this first episode of The Alchemy of It All, host Fiona Meiklejohn explores alchemy’s origins in Egypt, China, and the Islamic Golden Age; the symbolism of the Magnum Opus and the philosopher’s stone; and its later interpretation by Carl Jung as a map of psychological transformation.
This episode is the beginning of a larger exploration: how transformation, in all its forms and expressions, has shaped who we are and who we might become.
You’ve been listening to The Alchemy of It All with Fiona Meiklejohn. If this journey resonated with you, please share it, subscribe, or simply carry the conversation forward in your own life.
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