Lab Setup

Setting up your own space for an alchemical laboratory can be a very personal thing. Some people will go all out and build a separate room specifically for this purpose, while others will only be able to have a small corner of a room, perhaps even only a chest that is unpacked and set up when needed. As you can see in the photo to the right, I have about half my basement dedicated to my lab.

Don't be daunted by expenses when you first set up your lab. There is no need for huge expenditures. One can set up a basic lab with all the basic equipment for only a few hundred dollars. However, you can go well beyond this if you have the resources.

There are a few prerequisites for you lab space, which all rest on the necessity of safety, not only for yourself but others around you (ie. those living with you, pets, etc.).

• Your lab must be well ventilated. This can be provided by a fume hood, or several open windows.

• There must be a fire extinguisher close by at all times. Much of the material you will be working with can be very flammable.

• There must be adequate lighting.• For much of your work, such as calcining (explained in a later section),

you will need an area outside which you can burn or roast material. Because this can release a fair bit of smoke or fumes, you may need to talk to your neighbors before inadvertently disturbing them. This area can be as simple as an old bbq (which is what I use).

• This last point is more optional than the above, but is still highly recommended. That is an alar or meditation space, preferably to the East side of your lab. Laboratory alchemy is only half of the work that goes on in this Great Art, the other half being Inner or Spiritual Alchemy. See the section on Theory for more details.

Much of the equipment you will need can be bought at a fairly low cost, especially for basic purposes such as Spagyrics (ie. Plant Alchemy), which require much lower temperatures as compared with the higher Mineral Alchemy. In some instances you can even build your own equipment; this will be explained further on.

Lab AreaYou lab area should consist of at least a table, size 3 feet by 5 feet, 30 inches tall is good. You will also need some sort of storage area for unused equipment; I just use a shelf and a few plastic crates, but you can use whatever you like depending on your circumstances. A lamp is also good. Proper airflow should be available on the spot when needed. Above and beyond this, the alchemist can go all out if desired.

Basic EquipmentTo do most of the processes within Spagyrics you'll need the following equipment:

• A hotplate, such as a portable electric range.• A set of thermometers: different ones that can go up to 100C, 150C, and

400C are preferred.• A basic distillation train. Sometimes these are sold as student distillation

trains and can be priced at around $100. Another option is to build one yourself from glass tubes (using a torch to smooth the edges and rubber stoppers). But if you go this route you will still need a pyrex boiling flask - 500ml to start is good, but several sizes may be desired, such a 1 and 2 liter sizes.

• A couple plastic tubes to fit the distillation train, leading to and from either a bucket of ice water or a faucet to act as your cooling mechanism. This is essential to condensing your liquids as they are being distilled. If you are using a bucket of ice water, you will also need a submersible aquarium pump to keep the water moving.

• A beaker or measuring cup for measuring volumes.• Visionware glass cooking pans and pots for calcining. Failing that (as they

aren't made anymore), cast iron pans or stainless steel pots. You'll need these for calcining and roasting.

• A mortar and pestle. A set made of granite and a set made of glass work very well.

• Rubber stoppers, mason jars, funnels, a continuous supply of distilled water, surgical cotton (for filtering), and a heat dissipator made of steel mesh and ceramic (to ensure your glassware doesn't explode from thermal shock).

• Proper protection equipment, including goggles, chemical gloves, lab coat, dust mask, and oven mits (or welder's gloves).

• Lastly, you'll need an incubator. I bought a labgrade one myself, which works great, but this may not be the best choice for most other alchemists (they cost over $500). An easy trick is to buy a foam cooler about 2 cubit feet in size, and either a 5/10 watt lightbulb or a heating blanket (which won't turn off). A small thermometer is also a good idea to ensure that the proper temperature is maintained (which can be anywhere from 38C to 45C depending on what you are incubating. If you are using a heating blanket, you should put a thin layer of sand over it at the bottom of the cooler to act as an insulator. If you are going the lightbulb route, you will need to cover everything you incubate with black cloth to ensure that degradation of your material doesn't occur.

• Altough it isn't absolutely necessary, it may be a good idea to purchase a retort. This is what ancient alchemists used before the advent of modern laboratory glassware, and has a variety of uses.

Aside from these basic things, you can get whatever you like. Alchemy is after an Art, so if you figure out a better way of doing something (without breaking any

rules, of course) then go for it. Many of these things you can find at your local hardware store or even dollar store.

As you progress, however, you may find you will need more advanced equipment. For example, a soxhlet extractor, is very useful in a variety of ways. One way in which this marvellous piece of equipment can be very handy is in making tinctures. Instead of the two weeks it takes to make a (good) tincture, the soxhlet extractor can make one in less than a day. These, however, can run you at two hundred dollars and up, depending on the size you get. There is a bright side in that you can make one yourself using the same techniques used to make a simple distillation train.

Another handy piece of equipment is the essential oil distiller. These are priced at around four hundred dollars, but again you can make your own using the equipment listed above plus small glass tubing.

On your hot plate rests a boiling flask half full of water. Leading from this is a glass tube going into the bottom of a second flask containing the plant matter you wish to extract the essential oil from. The steam from the first flask flows up through the plant matter, carrying with it the essential oil. Leading from this second flask is another glass tube leading into a condenser and then a separatory funnel (if you don't have one, you can make one using a wider glass tube set vertically).

Equipment for Mineral AlchemyWhen you eventually progress into Mineral Alchemy, you'll need more advanced equipment. This will include furnaces (that can go in excess of 1000 celsius), sublimators, very hot hotplates, and sometimes even quartz flasks. Because of the cost of this equipment, many alchemists choose not to follow this path and stick with Spagyrics. I myself didn't start Mineral Alchemy until a few months ago (late 2009), but at the time I could afford the equipment.

A Note on the AltarAgain, this isn't practised by all alchemists, but I highly recommend an area where you can meditate and internalize all that you do in your laboratory. This will consist of a firm chair, a small table, a mirror (in which you can see your head and shoulders), and two candles to either side of the mirror. As a Rosicrucian, I also have the Hermetic Rosy Cross directly in front of the mirror, an incense burner, and a black cloth covering the table and wall behind the mirror.

James Collins