Definition of "alchemy" []

• A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity. (noun)
• A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting: "He wondered by what alchemy it was changed, so that what sickened him one hour, maddened him with hunger the next” ( Marjorie K. Rawlings). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Once the alchemy is there, a writer can usually work swiftly and efficiently, avoiding many writing pitfalls and completing the book in less time than (s) he expected it to take."
• "The botanical name, alchemilla, is derived from the word alchemy, because the herbs in this family are believed to bring about miraculous cures."
• "The Taoist sages used rituals that raised their vibratory level to create changes in the world, which they called alchemy."