The 1677 Alchemical Book That Fooled Everyone—Including Its Own Author

The Alchemical Transformations of the Mutus Liber (1677)

The Mutus Liber, a 1677 alchemical text, uses fifteen enigmatic plates to depict the 'humid way' of creating the Philosopher's Stone. Long attributed to the legendary Flamels, it was actually a seventeenth-century fabrication. Yet its influence endured: Carl Jung owned a first edition and saw in its images a guide to inner transformation. The book's motto—'Pray, read, read, read, reread, work—and you will discover'—captures its enduring mystery.