0:05

We’ve got a double dose of a cult mythology today.

The life of Nicholas Flamel and the Mystery of the Philosopher’s Stone, both are forever connected to each other.

So it only makes sense that we have a twofer.

I love it.

I love a little, double whammy.

0:21

Did I agree with you and I hope you’re ready to search for the secrets to immortality Christy because some say it’s possible Nicholasville Well, is still out there alive even though he was born in the 14th century, okay?

All right, listen, I’m just I’m in the Harry Potter had space so I don’t know where else to go.

0:41

So lead me.

It’s not the weirdest thing you’re going to hear today.

So I thought Hi, everyone and welcome to rituals a Spotify original from Park ass.

1:04

I’m M Schultz and I’m Christine Schieffer.

Every week, we’ll explore the evolution of spiritualism, and the Occult through stories practices and the impact on Modern culture, we are talking about Nicolas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone today, and it’s very exciting to Because I learned all about him, a hot 24 hours ago and I’m excited to immediately play Master to everybody.

1:29

Whoo yeah.

Yeah, teach us your ways Professor em.

Let’s crack into it them.

1:47

We’re going to talk about how Alchemists were obsessed with finding the Philosopher’s Stone, and the elixir of life.

I’ve got to mention that today but make it a three for a while, we’re at it.

So here’s the thing, the Philosopher’s Stone in particular.

It seems to have just been something.

2:05

Everyone was obsessed with other.

Especially the people that were really involved in alchemy, right.

What’s something that you’ve been deeply interested in or deeply like a passion of yours, throughout your life?

Anything or deeply obsessed?

With like these people were with that stone.

2:20

Am I know it her pains you to ask me this question because I’m sure a you already know all the things and be, you don’t want to hear about them again.

But I’m trying to think what?

I had a Criss Angel phase.

For sure.

I like hell, I can’t Alka.

2:36

Miss from the 14th century were like I will die for the Philosopher’s Stone in your like Criss Angel is give or take.

I’m like, I’ll Photoshop myself into Criss Angel’s photos.

So that was a good passion project.

I’m trying to think.

Wow, my brain just went to Chris Angel and literally nowhere else.

2:53

I’m promise, I’m more well-rounded than that.

I think that means that’s where your heart knows.

It belong.

That’s like really scary actually.

I mean I try to think of like what I would be.

What I would consider something.

I’m deeply obsessed with but the Blessing and curse of ADHD as I’m obsessed with a new thing every week.

3:10

So that’s the problem is sort of like I get the yeah, like intends hyper fixations and I will tell you oh, this is going to be my interest for all of time and then two weeks later I’ve forgotten so Obsession.

Yeah, if session is definitely the word but it’s also like a temporary Obsession.

3:26

Yeah, and anything I’ve ever obsessed with it might have been as intense as their passion for the Philosopher’s Stone, but it really only asked about 14 days and then a short burst the never again, yeah.

Meant yes, oh, we’re kind of flitting all over the place, I guess.

Yeah, so we would have not been good Alchemist is what I mean, you know after after about a fortnight we would have been like never mind then a whole Fortnight can’t we do something else the serotonin is wearing off for you and something else.

3:54

This is going to be hard work and I don’t want to do it in the morning, but that’s what I would say.

I feel like this is too much.

So we are talking about the stone and the elixir of life.

We’re going to talk about that a little bit.

But basically it helps you become immortal.

And I guess my question about that.

4:09

Would you have cared about the elixir of life?

Like why do you think people care so much about living forever?

Why does it seem?

So like a like a thing you got to do or like if you found the elixir of Life which you take it.

Oh now that is a deep question.

I think I would only take it if I knew it were reversible.

4:28

Does that make sense?

Like a big commitment I see like you want the out I feel like eventually I want an out path.

Like a path out because I’m like Ali, which might not even be too far from now, like things aren’t looking good.

And like what am I even doing?

4:43

If you found like a liquor bottle size elixir of life, you take like maybe a shot but like you wouldn’t take a shrug at thank you.

Yeah, you get it.

I wouldn’t chug it and for multiple reasons.

But yeah, mostly just, I would take a shot and be like, okay, this will, maybe give me another hundred years.

4:59

And I think, I mean, to answer your first question, I feel like the reason is just that humans, like have this innate fear of dying, I am, which is probably just part of our Evolution.

And so I think it’s like, you know, just like running out of time and such a big fear.

Yeah.

Im Sorry grave.

5:14

I can understand the obsession would you take it the Elixir?

I think I would do the same thing that you’re doing and I would somehow force my own entitled caveats into it, where I’d be like solutely, I would maybe but only on my terms.

And if I want to back out, I better be able to so me, my lawyer to read this over, it’s right.

5:33

If I could agree to take a shot, every Ten years and just keep chugging.

Then like at the end of one of the 10-year rounds maybe I don’t want to that’s a great idea.

Just like temporary increases.

Yeah I meant like a subscription service where I’m like maybe I take it this month.

5:48

Maybe I don’t you know you know and I do Wonder like does it.

Do you age?

Do you become like a hundred ten years?

Older is this like vampire rules where like you’re stuck at that age?

Yeah or you there’s also the theory with ghosts.

Really like you actually just end up appearing the age of wherever like, you felt bastard.

6:06

Something.

So maybe like what if all of a sudden I like Chuck a shot of it and then I like shrinked, like a little 86, you know.

Yeah, I don’t know.

And I’m suddenly a six-year-old holding a tequila bottle and I was like, where did the you come from?

Who gave you that?

Again, our lawyers would need to look through.

6:23

Yes, for for, we did anything.

So talking about it now is just kind of like to poke fun at it, but the Elixir is going to get a little bit of a backseat today as we talk about Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher’s Stone, they’re the frontrunners today.

Day.

How much do you actually know about Flamel or the stone Harry Potter?

6:41

Okay, that’s where I am too.

That’s about my extent of it.

And like, I’ve read a couple things about like, where the inspiration came from that, where JK Rowling, you know, took the stuff from.

So I know, like a bare minimum, like, a basic storyline, which is a lot more than I usually.

6:57

Know, when we do these episodes.

I was going to say, if that’s the bare minimum, I know the bars even lower for now.

Okay.

I don’t even remember.

Here’s the I was never a Harry Potter kid and not because I don’t even try to be.

I just it’s somehow all of the movies just kind of escaped.

7:13

Me.

I just never saw them.

I think it was almost more in the books.

I don’t think the only time I’ve ever heard the name.

Nicholas Flamel, as I remember there was a Harry Potter movie.

I’m assuming the Sorcerer’s Stone since that’s.

Yeah, American version.

Philosopher’s Stone.

But I remember one movie and I’ve only seen like two of them, but at one point Harry Potter’s G, Nicholas Flamel.

7:32

Oh, yeah.

And that’s, that’s my only not allow that is Okay, well, I guess I know a little bit more than the bare minimum.

Then the bars in hell.

You guys are cool.

So how would I did read the books?

And I do remember, Nicholas Flamel being a character and I believe he had and he knew Dumbledore was a whole thing.

7:52

I’m not going to go relay the story of but I do I do vaguely remember that so you probably are going to teach me a lot more today.

I felt very silly walking into this topic because I was like well here we go again.

Just just I’m just I just leads you by and we’ll see where it takes us.

8:09

Great reading through the notes.

I was like, man, I kind of wish that I knew all about this this whole time.

So anyway, let me tell you A Tale of mr.

Nicholas, Flamel.

We’re going to talk about the mystery.

That is the Philosopher’s Stone first, which is like, including whether it was actually a stone at all.

8:26

That also shocked me reading these notes, I was like, hmm, I this whole time.

Why would I think anything other than it being a stone?

It’s a nice little rock, right?

But the story of this, Tone is very much tightly attached to the life of Nicholas Flamel and fun fact, it’s not certain but it is sown spoiler alert, okay?

8:45

So the good news about Nicholas Flamel is he was a real person and I say that because we sometimes get stories of figures who may or may not have existed in the world of spiritualism and the Occult, but oh mr.

Nick, I almost an Old Saint Nick.

And what’s he thinking about?

What?

I’m also very real by the way.

9:04

Well, he was this guy’s very Real.

But his life was very much drenched in mythology, which is how I would like to be known.

Also, as this ATM with, like, you know, zero experience or education.

I still want that title.

I really have the goddamn audacity to say that.

9:22

So, Nicholas Flamel was a wealthy, copyist Bookseller and bookbinder who lived in Paris in the 14th century with his wife and his wife’s name was paranal.

Whoo, I know French Harrison.

Paranal.

Wait.

9:37

Paranal in Paris have have run L and powdery I don’t know.

It sounds like a movie that like the Olsen twins would star in or something.

The couple regularly donated to the Catholic church but that didn’t stop Old Saint Nick.

I’m just getting even though it’s funny because it’s got like that didn’t stop necklace from dipping.

9:56

His toe into the occult outside of his Catholic Church situation.

Specifically with Alchemy.

And I like that he’s kind of like a sneaky little Boy Lake outside of the Catholic Church.

He’s doing some toe Dippin and you had a tithe over here and then toe tip over here, keep them separate.

10:15

So just as a refresher course, Alchemy was a blend of Science and magic and it is the precursor to Modern Chemistry because one of the Alchemists, big things was the search for immortality and the alteration of natural elements played a big role in that interesting.

10:33

Now you may have wondered why I called Nicholas.

Amel wealthy.

When his career was basically in like bookbinding bookselling, mmm.

Well, the rumors are that all of his money actually comes from his work.

And Alchemy, uh-oh, a little side, business, a little side hustle.

10:50

Got it, he’s toad up and everywhere, he’s hustling.

So this is where the mystery starts.

The rumor says that he was able to convert lead into gold.

After he decoded an ancient Alchemy book from the original Hebrew text.

11:06

Oh, I so right off the bat, this guy is like very good at his particular aside, hustle interest side hustle, right?

Like quit your day job, man.

Like I could tell people like, oh, I’m into Alchemy and not be very good at it.

But like this guy’s into Alchemy and he’s literally turning lead into gold so embarrassing everyone else who’s like, oh yeah, me too.

11:22

And he’s like, no, not like, I am.

I also feel like if he’s turning lead into gold, this is complete sidebar, and maybe a Jesus can turn water into wine.

This guy can turn led into cold and I feel like they should be on the the same level of appreciation.

11:39

But this guy had never heard of, you know, I mean well you didn’t read Harry Potter.

I think all are my HP fans.

That feels the most Anti Jesus though, right?

What if you like?

Yeah, maybe they’re kind of like opposites, you know?

Mmm, I don’t know if there’s a connection there or not but just interesting that they can both change things and other things but only once considered an alchemist and the other is considered God.

12:00

But okay, so he got the ability to do this because he decoded an ancient Alchemy Look from its original Hebrew text and it was a text that also contained the secrets of the Philosopher’s Stone and the elixir of Life which would help them live forever, my goodness.

12:17

So he’s just got all the, all the keys, all the secrets, all the answers.

So if you’re to believe the rumors, that would mean that Nicholas Flamel achieved all Alchemists aim to accomplish and it made him rich in legendary.

I mean he’s got all the gold he needs.

12:33

Yeah and he’s just gonna live forever.

Keep making gold every And damn you imagine living forever and succeeding the whole time because you know, how to do something called Rosebud on Sims.

You and Rose but over and over again.

Now that was a nice throw back.

That was a wonderfully obscure reference.

12:52

And it really hit home to me.

Wow, I think actually just stop talking for the rest of the dishes.

That was you’re not gonna get better.

I think maybe mother lode is a more apt descriptor because that one really gets you wealthy faster.

Rosebud is just the more classic, you know, call back if no, you know, what you say, whatever, anything you say after this.

13:13

I’m just going to have such a high esteem for you for even thinking of that, all the top of your head.

Wow, the wit on You Christina.

Ironically, even though he is, claimed be able to unlock the keys to immortality Nicholas.

13:29

Flamel said to have died in 1418.

Oh blah blah.

It’s not surprisingly people were shocked but he died at all because Cuz he supposedly had discovered the elixir of Life.

Yeah, Count Me In.

I’m shocked too.

Well then I guess that brings us back to our original conversation.

Maybe he was just like, do I take it or do I not?

13:46

And he just threw it at into the bottom of the ocean, all the answers.

He was like, no one needs to know this.

No, he’s a powerful.

Here’s the thing though.

Some people say he died some people think otherwise because at some point, his coffin was apparently found empty.

14:05

So many.

We’ll say, he is still around today, which like my there’s even reporting’s of sightings of him including at the Paris Opera in 1761.

Imagine fuse happened to look like him and like people just think that your 300-year old because swim oh I did anyone from 1761 even know.

14:25

Like what I mean.

I guess it’s probably a painting of him or something.

I-i’m glad you asked because I thought it too, but I was afraid of sounding like that.

What I don’t know if that’s a stupid question, I was holding like, A lead pipe and a piece of gold by axles almost like there’s only one person that could be, you know, I know that man.

14:43

I have also like, what a sad life though, if you actually know how to live forever, and now, for the last 300 years, you’re in hiding for eternity.

Now, if the elixir of Life Works where you only take like a little Spoonful and it, that’s enough to just have you lived for the rest of the time.

15:00

And now, you have to be in hiding.

Always forget it.

Like, would you want to live forever or would you A live forever and also not be able to have friends because that’s what this one smells like.

I feel like the danger, maybe it’s because the danger of like a wool, they’ll want to know how I did this and they’ll want my, they want.

15:20

I don’t know.

I mean, it makes sense, that you would have to, like, he be in danger, you know?

Yeah.

But every like superhero has a sidekick.

I’d like to thank there was like one person he could trust but then that person would die eventually.

Anyway, unless he also actly, unless you also let them have a little spoonful.

15:36

Hello.

What he was having you know I don’t know.

I mean it doesn’t seem like he was having that tough life.

He’s going to the Opera.

Okay that’s a great Point like he’s going to see shows.

I don’t think he’s like that in the hiding if he’s out there.

You know, it’s killing time highest.

15:52

Yeah.

Up.

Next, we’ll talk about whether the Philosopher’s Stone is an actual stone and why Nicholas Flamel seems to be the only named Alchemist to ever find it.

I can’t wait.

I have a lot of questions that I’m hoping will be answered.

16:12

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16:35

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17:05

Centuries, the interest in the occult specifically Alchemy was pretty popular.

Our, I feel like we kind of already knew the, I feel like the word alchemy comes up and just about every set of notes we to and well, yeah.

I feel like I always picture that time.

Yeah of history.

And as I mentioned already, Alchemy was the precursor to Modern Chemistry.

17:24

Which, by the way, I feel like I would have done a lot better in school.

If they just kept calling chemistry, Alchemy just feel so much cooler than a lot.

And I feel like somebody better pick up on this and really utilize these This research to their advantage when they’re teaching.

If you’re a chemistry teacher out there, And you want to keep things refreshing maybe fight for the school to rename it, Alchemy.

17:46

But then I think like maybe a bunch of like I don’t know, religious people might be freaked out, I don’t know.

I don’t think that’s going to work.

It sounds a little too, a little too traditional for the old-fashioned folks if you know I’m saying.

So anyway Alchemy was the precursor to Modern Chemistry.

18:02

So you can imagine how imaginative people who were practicing, it were exploring this area and you have To get had to get creative.

Yeah.

They had to like, believe in it too, you know.

Yeah.

You can’t.

Just, I guess it’s the combination of Science and Magic.

So you’ve got to write a particular set of views.

18:21

Yeah, to even really appreciate it.

I bet.

Yeah, and most Alchemists were wealthier, middle-class men who were rumored just like, Nicholas, Flamel to have made their fortunes and turning elements into gold.

Okay, interesting interesting.

18:37

Hmm.

Interesting that there’s just like a whole group of people Know how to do this but Nicholas flamels.

The Only Name we ever hear ya.

I wonder if they were just better at like keeping their secret hidden, I don’t know.

Maybe.

Yeah.

Maybe Nicholas, Flamel had a bit of an ego or was desperate to be recognized for his efforts at the Opera at the Opera. 300 years later, there are various aspects to Alchemy namely the philosophical, and the physical, okay?

19:03

As for the physical aspect, that includes the concept of turning basic elements like lead and two more valuable elements like gold.

Old.

Okay, the twist, however, is that in order to have the ability to make that happen?

A person.

First has to have discovered the Philosopher’s Stone.

19:20

Oh, so you can’t just go into it with no background.

You just have to do this step first.

It comes with a recipe list and the only item, the only ingredient is the Philosopher’s Stone.

I see.

And this Stone was considered the most sacred and sought-after object.

19:36

And the field of alchemy in an older texts, written about the stone.

It was said that.

Could help create gold and Grant immortality one, early texts.

This is a quote that says all infirmities might be cured human life.

Prolonged to its utmost limits and Mankind preserved in health and strength of body and mind clearness and vigor.

19:57

All wounds are healed by it without difficulty and it is the best and surest remedy against poisons.

Wow.

So basically mankind preserved in health and strength, so that answers my question that you’re not like Beijing to become kind of elderly and withered like you’re keeping your your fresh livelihood.

20:17

That’s a weird thing to say you’re keeping your your current Vigor and health intact.

I guess that means whatever you looked like like whatever your age was when you took it.

Yeah, maybe it’ll like prolong or and and like heal you if you’re sick that’s interesting, that’s really interesting but it sounds like I mean the ultimate cure for humankind like you will just be fine all the time.

20:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean it doesn’t say anything about depression and anxiety, so I don’t know how it would be you but I think at least I’d have to live with those mental illnesses forever.

So that’s good.

I guess back then.

They just like mental illness, wasn’t even a concept to them, so they never mentioned it.

20:58

So I guess now they’ve officially, it’s now baby.

It’s Cannon.

Now that you’re just all mentally on the inside, so horribly miserable so bad.

I love that were laughing through that.

Ha ha, ha.

Huh.

Now another twist is the Philosopher’s Stone may not have been a stone at all, okay.

21:15

And early Works say that this is another quote, it is called the stone not because it is like a stone but only because by virtue of its fixed nature.

It resists the actions of the fire as successfully as any stone what?

So it just kind of has the same properties of a stone in like that.

21:33

It’s just really solid or that it like I think it resists, it can’t be broken.

Be broken.

That’s, that’s the vibe.

I’m getting the like, the stuff.

Like, it’s just kind of impervious.

Okay, interesting.

That’s the vibe.

I’m getting.

I’m not too sure getting an impervious vibe from this thing.

21:51

Yeah, I wish I would have thought about me but I certainly not surely, don’t give that vibe off at all.

So the Philosopher’s Stone has been described as a powder also.

So that’s why they think I might not actually be a stone, it C ended it.

22:10

Comes in various colors and there’s even records of how it tastes and smells interesting research team.

I would like a whole episode on just the different flavors that this thing comes in and he’s obsessed with how things taste.

It’s an interesting talk about Obsession.

22:26

Hey, there’s one for you, that’s a great one.

I just things that you’re not supposed to eat and wants to know what they taste like.

I’m just I’m also I’m so fascinated by the people who have that condition where like they can like taste colors and names and synesthesia.

Synesthesia.

I just I don’t know if there are downsides to that situation so I don’t want to speak on it but the perks of it that I’ve have read about sound very cool, I would love, that’s the thing.

22:52

I’d like to take a shot of instead of chug a bottle of I love just like an hour with that gift and I think a lot of my obsessions with this might you know, kind of Fade Out.

So how interesting.

Okay, you heard it here first folks.

So the Philosopher’s Stone it’s said to be a powder with tastes.

And smells an example of that is 16th century.

23:10

A Flemish Alchemist.

Ian Baptista Van Helmont said, it was yellow, the color of saffron and the form of a heavy powder with a brilliancy like glass.

Wow, yellow interesting.

Another example of that is Renaissance Alchemist paracelsus who said that it was probably a solid dark red ruby like object.

23:32

Oh, okay.

So that does sound a little more like a stone like an I guess.

Because it’s Ruby like a gemstone almost.

It sounds like we’re just All throwing around a guess at what a coaster.

Like, totally random color.

Yeah, I think it’s green.

So I was going to say green.

I was actually, I am not kidding.

23:48

I was going to say green, I don’t know.

But then again, I feel like I’m kind of primed to think that because I’m a big Doctor, Strange fan and his magic Stone.

Well, I’m not so I don’t know.

Maybe maybe that came from Harry Potter to be honest.

I do, I’m not really sure where that came from but maybe I okay.

24:05

Well, since her on this, I wanted to ask you, do you have an idea and you Your worlds, this green Philosopher’s Stone.

What does it smell and taste?

Like since other people are taking a whack at it.

I think it’s a ring pop because then I can wear it.

Oh well, that’ll do it.

24:22

That’s because you know how I lose everything.

If I got my hands on this thing, it would be lost in a matter of probably minutes so far.

The Philosopher’s Stone does seem to do everything or to like find its way into every industry, except fashion.

So I’m glad you’re bringing that to the Forefront.

24:38

Thank you for saying that because I always felt That was a particular calling of mine to combine Alchemy and fashion.

Do you have a taste or a Maura smell?

Like, a one of the senses?

I like a green apple.

All right.

24:54

What do you think?

What about smell?

I guess we just got to go with the green apple.

You know?

All right.

Fresh fresh.

Spring scent.

I did put, I wrote down my own thoughts and I, for some reason, it was really all over the place.

One thing which I felt like I it was my first, First thought, and then I made myself run away from it because I feel like it was too easy.

25:15

Is I said if probably tasted like fun dip like the blue funding because it’s a powder, sort of, cause I heard powder.

So yeah, but I can see that because it’s maybe mmm, interesting.

I mean, Ring Pop and funded.

We’re in a very smooth 90s babies.

25:32

I’ve already brought up the Sims and Harry Potter.

This is becoming like a very childish episode very millennial.

Yeah, it is at the end of the day, Christine, whatever you claim in your own mind that it must taste and look like, you’re, you’re no better than every other person who made a statement because like one person said it was yellow.

25:52

Like saffron one person said it’s like a solid dark red.

So why not?

Throw our opinion in the mix, right?

I guess.

If someone else said, oh, it’s this and they had no proof, no.

Anyone else could be like?

Well actually it’s the I mean, I’d it does to me at least take away a little validity of this whole thing.

26:09

But But it is kind of fun that we get to choose.

What if we want it to be.

I like to think that there was a like that was the favorite part of everyone’s day but like when they would all talk about the Philosopher’s Stone together, they would just sit there just be like, what do you think it would sound alike?

Like, I would wear it like a ring.

26:28

I feel like they would have to be on a different type of powder to then start talking about this and just like really, really tangent off like off the wall, like we do is so regardless of what form, the For stone came in or was thought to come in for centuries.

26:44

The stone has been connected to Nicholas, Flamel and the connection actually originated after his death.

So like I said, Nicholas Flamel said to have died in 1418 and around that same time that he passed Alchemy.

And the Occult were becoming All the Rage for middle-class men, which makes sense.

27:03

Because, of course, you would want to be able to create golden live.

Forever is a midlife crisis, essentially.

Yeah, Yeah and then I guess I’m always having one because I think if I were given the option to just know how to live forever whether or not I did it I’d like to I absolutely I’d take it right away.

27:19

So with so much interest in the same area that Flamel studied several written work, started popping up that forever connected Flamel and the stone together.

Mmm, including a reimagining of a 15th century.

French manuscript, allegedly written by Flamel himself titled the leave from Mel.

27:40

Translated to the Flamel book, which I like if he wrote this, he literally titled it about himself and then it ended up being associated with him and the stone, which is like, well, that was maybe the whole point of you writing this, my guy, the Christine book.

27:57

I mean, it’s just so ridiculous name or the she for book, I guess it would be God.

I don’t know if I’d want to read.

I feel like I’d open the book in a flurry of bats would come out, or something.

Just like, so, just be like sticky like eye drops.

Something in it.

Probably my ring pop as just a mess.

28:13

Something spooky would happen would be wine stains on every page everywhere.

So the most famous book attributed to Flamel was the book of the hieroglyphic figures of Nicholas Flamel published in 1612 and it was an illustrated book translated from a past text of his.

28:30

So another book attributed to him is maybe his own another translation of his own book, right?

That was originally written in Latin.

Where he wrote various principles and ideas and Alchemy what describes writing in French and in Latin like he’s just showing off at this point in a book called hieroglyphics is he writing in hieroglyphics to?

28:51

I don’t know this man I don’t know how he has time to be a polyglot on top of everything else.

Seriously maybe that’s part of the stone.

It makes me think more that maybe the stone worked because he’s got nothing to do.

But learn every language.

He’s just learning Latin on the side too.

I think if I could live forever, like eventually going to have to learn other languages just to Probably make the time go by, it’s easy to see how the more interest there was in the area of alchemy, the more people turn to the works, that came before them and that happened to be a lot of books written by a man who claimed to have found the Philosopher’s Stone and the elixir of life, right?

29:27

So it’s sort of all funneled back to him.

God, and The Story Goes, a Flamel had a dream where an angel appeared and told him about a magical book that he was about to find.

That’s The the origin story I suppose, which I would love an angel to come to me in a dream.

29:45

And I don’t know because then I think of mother Mary, because an angel came to her and suddenly she had to have a baby.

So I don’t know.

I feel like it’s not always great news, you know, so it could go a lot of ways hate that, that was a woman’s experience with an angel of like, hey, you’re going to now just like, have to give up the life of a single woman and hey, your uterus is needed right now.

30:08

I don’t know if you Consent to this but it’s going to happen.

And then the man gets an angel coming to him being like I’m going to give you the gift of immortality and you’re going to be able to turn anything into gold anyway for melon, his wife spent the rest of their lives trying to decode it after they found this magical book.

30:29

Hmm.

And it was believed to have held the secret to the Philosopher’s Stone and the elixir of life.

Okay, while I’m on my little anti man, rant love that.

This is the only time.

We ever hear that Flamel and his wife were, the ones decoding this book, but Flamel gets all the credit.

30:45

Well, maybe paranal was like, not into it until the angel showed up.

I like to thank it.

Was she had a say in this for sure.

I like to think she was like you to your weird Hobby in the basement.

I’m busy up here, I guess, but if she’s helping him to code, the book that is quite a, an acceptance of his weird interest.

31:03

Yeah.

I feel like she finally was like, okay, okay, I’m into it I guess.

Tight and in 1382.

Wrote in his diary that he had found the secret and transformed lead into gold.

Wow, I hope in his diary, it says me and my wife well I hope my dear diary today was a good day mood apathetic.

31:30

Coming up the legacy of necklace, Flamel, and the Philosopher’s Stone lives on today.

We’ll talk about physical spots in Paris.

You can visit and where to find them in modern pop culture, if you don’t want to travel, uh-oh?

Okay, let’s go on a little trip.

31:57

If there comes a day that you visit Paris, you can check out Nicholas, Flamel related locations, which now I have something to do, and I got the Paris one day.

I’ve got myself a little itinerary, I think that would be the funnest trip.

Well, after his wife, paranal died in 1397 Flamel used all of his money to build houses for the poor.

32:18

Which oh, I don’t know.

You just should talk to him so much.

I know, it makes me feel a little bad.

I didn’t see this coming for him, his wife dies, and he’s like, I’m going to dedicate my life to the poor.

That’s so nice.

Make me feel bad, but okay, I’m trying my best to make you feel as bad as possible.

Just a little bad as the guilt will last forever.

32:36

Don’t worry today, you can visit one of those houses that was built in 1407 and fun fact.

It is the oldest Stone House in Paris.

Oh, so if your friends aren’t like into this kind of ritual stuff, which first of all like get new friends but second of all, you could be like, oh we’re just going to visit the oldest Stone House in Paris, and they don’t have to know why.

32:57

That’s the style of anytime.

There’s like a, what are they called?

Superlatives or whatever?

Yeah, yeah.

You love a Guinness book.

Kind of location.

The oldest the weirdest, the most unique, the biggest golf tee in the country.

Oh my God, there’s nothing.

33:13

I love more than a Roadside Attraction and if it’s got a superlative attached to it game over, so definitely would be going here in Paris to the oldest Stone House.

And over time it was damaged by people.

Ransacking it which like Not surprising to me.

33:29

They were ransacking it after he died because everyone was like, looking through this house for his Secrets, which I think is not, but I, uh, no, I’m not surprised either.

I’m not surprised one tiny bit.

People have ransacked places for far, less important reasons.

I would didn’t like, well, yeah, I’m thinking of, like, far more important reasons I think.

33:48

Like, at the same thing happen to like Nikola Tesla, his whole place was ransacked because they thought he liked, do time travel or something.

So yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But you’re right.

Or much smaller things.

People have overturned Holmes.

Yeah, but what’s left of the house today?

At least has been converted into a restaurant.

34:05

And I gotta be honest, if that restaurant does not have a drink called The Elixir of Life all scream just say I don’t know that the French are as like gimmicky as we Americans are.

So part of me thinks that’s probably not going to happen but maybe if they’re catering to tourists I don’t know.

34:24

Well I said I’d scream otherwise so I guess I have to Scream later about that.

Let’s do it when we turn off the mic Slater, okay?

But let’s also like really come up with our own little themed.

Like, what would the Philosopher’s Stone food look like, we’ll have to shop that later.

Oh, I love it.

I mean something delicious.

34:40

Also, there’s only one way to find out about all this and I just need you to promise me right here that we can go someday.

It’s a Paris.

Yes, to this restaurant.

All right.

But if I go all the way to Paris and they don’t have an elixir of life on the menu, I’m going to help it all.

Yelp it first for you.

34:56

That’s what I’m allowed to truly.

Scram.

I’ll be like, I traveled all the way and then I’ll just be like, one of those horrible Americans will be like a Cairn on somewhere on the on Reddit.

Yeah, I’ll silently stew.

I won’t make a scene of it but I will think man, what a wasted opportunity, that’ll be more in line with I think the European way.

35:13

Yeah, okay good, thank you for teaching me the ways of anywhere other than here.

So his Tombstone also still stands in Paris.

So I would love to check that out.

While we’re on, this is lutely international trip together.

Mmm.

And here’s the fun.

The tombstone, Flamel designed himself, which has images of st.

35:32

Peter st.

Paul symbols from Alchemy, and mentions of his charity work.

Oh, that’s nice.

And I think I officially found my next to week-long Obsession, which is designing my own Tombstone.

If you had to design your own Tombstone, do you have an idea of what you would put on there?

35:48

Oh, I love this idea that he had of, mentioning his own charitable efforts on his Tombstone.

Like, why not go out and like brag about yourself a little bit, you know?

Like a little resume of, like, what all the things that good you’ve done?

I think I would want mine to look like a cool like optical illusion situation.

36:06

Oh yeah.

You definitely would have something like fun to look at visually.

I would love assuming that the space would be very well respected.

I would love her my burial place to be a Roadside Attraction like I won something weird going on there.

36:23

So people like want to take selfies with me and said what about like interactive like It was something interactive Jump On In there’s plenty of room.

No, I mean like they could like sign it or like put something.

Yeah.

Stick their gum to it.

36:38

I don’t know if that were a part of the like the thing that you do, I’d be totally fine, people sick in their gum, all over my Tombstone.

I I want it.

I do want it some sort of like weird interactive thing where it’s like, oh whenever you go to this part of town, you have to do this as like a tradition here.

This is how M lives on in the afterlife just making themselves a road.

36:57

Side attraction.

And I’m not kidding.

I would want selfies the entire time.

So I telling you now, one day when I’m not here, wherever I lay so much work, okay, I would really like, baby come up with a hashtag situation.

I don’t know, you let me know, but I would like to still be involved socially.

37:13

I don’t think my butterfly spirit world, I know you’ll still be hanging around waiting for attention.

Mmm, I think like maybe put a Ouija board on mine and so you can talk to me, you know, like, I’ll be just like there if anyone wants to chat.

What if we both had Ouija?

Our team sons and they talk to each other to talk, we would never stop talking, Dixie cup on a string, but all right, well I’ll let you know, I guess what happens or I won’t because I won’t be here.

37:40

I will probably find out one way or another.

Well, either way, he got to design his own Tombstone.

I’m now jealous of him.

And also there are streets named after him and his wife para.

No.

No, that’s cute.

So, I don’t know the city of Los Angeles, keep it in the back of your mind, if you want to name a street after me, I’m leaving.

37:57

Okay, in terms of Pop Culture, it seems like Alchemy and the Occult lead us back to same franchise, HP.

There we go.

And the first book in the series, is actually called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The American version is known as the Sorcerer’s Stone and the story of the Sorcerer’s Stone or Philosopher’s Stone, Flamel has a character who had possession of the Philosopher’s Stone at one point in his long, eternal life and Flamel is mentioned.

38:24

Also in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Saddam and author, not star of the office, Michael Scott wrote A series called the secrets of the immortal.

Nicholas Flamel who it does sound like a spin-off to Threat Level Midnight though in 2014 the film As Above.

38:44

So Below was a found footage style horror movie that followed a group, going into the catacombs of Paris to find Nicolas flamels.

Philosopher’s Stone.

Have you seen that?

No sounds spooky.

Sounds really cool.

It sounds like a like a Blair Witch.

39:00

Yeah, boot.

Yeah, watch that.

Hey, we that’s what I got for you on on.

Nicholas Flamel.

Wow, what a story man and knowing all this.

Now, do you think Nicholas Flamel really found the Philosopher’s Stone or the elixir of life?

I feel like my gut says no and I want it to be true in a way because obviously it’s such a cool idea and concept and mystery but the only sighting, the only proof quote-unquote was that one sighting at Like, have an opera house and I feel like that’s not enough for me to feel like confident that this guy might still be out there.

39:34

You know, if he makes his makes a Twitter account and shows up, maybe I’ll believe him, but I think for now I’m kind of like, maybe he figured out the whole led to Gold thing, but I don’t think he lived forever.

What do you think?

Well, since we’re talking about a fours, I think he found whatever, like, the symbol of a philosopher’s stone was, or he found like a metaphorical elixir of life, but I don’t know if he found like an actual.

39:57

All magical stone.

I wonder if the if it’s this the concept we were having were like maybe the elixir of Life wears off every now and then like I like to I don’t know why but in my mind I’m making it more of like a lifetime movie than the necessary.

But maybe he lived long enough and then some sort of poetic moment he was like I need to design my own Tombstone and get on out of here.

40:20

Yeah but then if he really died at the point where his Tombstone went up then he didn’t live much longer than the knee just LED and My life, right?

Because he died at a normal time, right?

Hmm.

Allegedly, I don’t know, allegedly.

I wonder, I wonder.

40:37

I mean, I like to think that there’s this mystery, but I feel like there’s not.

I mean, I do wonder if maybe he did figure out how to turn lead into gold.

The fact that he wrote it in his Diaries, very interesting.

Yeah, I also do.

I also wonder if he’s just like writing stuff on a diary just to like mess with people.

40:53

I don’t know.

I feel really weird prank but maybe I Like to thank.

I would leave a note somewhere in a diary and like it’d be like the first clue.

Well, we’re not going to believe your diary no.

Yeah.

Fair enough you’d said is on scavenger hunt, that’s true.

41:08

That’s what I’m saying.

I’m like, maybe he was like, this will keep me going for all of time and then he would still technically live eternally in some way.

So it’s all just metaphorical, maybe, I don’t know.

Thanks so much for listening.

41:29

We’ll be back next week with another great episode information.

On today’s episode came from historic Mysteries Paris unlocked Time Magazine, Atlas obscura, IGN, and Looper remember to follow rituals on Spotify to get a brand new episode every week, and you can listen to this and all other episodes of rituals for free exclusively on Spotify.

41:49

And if you like the show, Follow at Park s on Facebook and Instagram and at podcast Network on Twitter.

You can find me at the M Schultz and you can find me a text.

And she fur.

Thanks again for listening and we will see you next week.

Rituals is executive produced by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from podcast.

42:06

It was created by Max color, sound design by Kristen Acevedo with associate.

Sound design by Jamie Ryan research, by Chelsea would fact-checking by Catherine Barner, it’s produced by Kristen Acevedo, and Jonathan Ratliff with Russian assistance by Ron Shapiro.

42:22

We’re your host, Christine cheaper and EM Schulz.