@
fakable About the first question, if you have 'stuff' in the universe, you can make more complex forms of matter with it. So for example helium atoms combined with various of other atoms, to make a bigger thing that is called a molecule.
When matter is not bound in a molecule, it has a lot of energy.. When these particles bind together into a molecule, a lot of this energy becomes inaccessible for the molecule. Gravity basically draws other matter to itself, because is has a lack of access to its own energy due to being bound with other particles into a molecule.. It is how gravity comes into existance.. and it also does explain why splitting of matter releases so much energy.. the energy put into the molecule, to become a molecule, was locked during the agglutination of the particles.. 🙂
Regarding the second question. All science we know today, originated from Alchemy. And Alchemy originated from classical Hermetics. Astronomy, Astrology, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology.. all originated from Alchemy. Note that Astrology was more a communication practice than an actual science.. heavily deformed over the centuries.. Anyways, there are plenty of writings about it you can find, in general one has to take into account that the dark ages where less consistent. So borders did not exist unless it was a natural border, otherwise territories faded into one another. Laws where often unwritten or very local with maybe the exception of the Church in the more developed parts of the medival world, but still quite flexible to todays standards.. same for dialects, building styles, and other forms of knowledge.. Early science was de facto a local science. The way people wrote stuff down, was due to many reasons made hidden.. But, for most people the most noticible is the sheer inconsistency that various of treatises and manuscripts had compared to one another.. Then all the changes in the late 19th century happened and people blew up the original concepts into.. more entertaining ones.. (depending on who you ask of course me not appreciating some of the new age stuff)
If looking at the formulae of Energy according to Alchemic ways, we do describe it through polarity. We do not reason through the "absolute" definition, with exception for the Hermetic Identity cause it is hermetically sealed, but through the effects of energy we can observe. In a matter of fact, all Hermetics and Alchemic texts all do deal with observation, reasoning, and so forth.. Most of the actual knowledge is traditionally carried over Mouth to Ear, most books about our craft are false and also highly deformed. The primary way for us to transmit knowledge is through talking, and having people figure out clues and life lessons, this often does coccur in form of a Hierophant/Alchemist relationship, like pupil/teacher, but with unparalleled freedom for personal choice and over a way longer period of time. Also take note on that transmission through writing sometimes does happen to skip generations, due to a loss or inaccessibility of a book, though vocal transmission rarely does.. unless a population seases to exist that is, but these are throughout history quite rare to cause knowledge to sease being passed on, often due to invasion or natural disaster it may occur.
Usually when I teach people to become Alchemists in the traditional sense of the word, it takes years. Personally what I would like to do mention, is that if you have questions you can always DM me, and secondly, the Heritiage I am part of does deal without exception with that what can be proven (scientifc), though we also use deduction from reasoning for the more floaty parts, though still able to be bound into science (Alchemy does not deal with ghosts and forces unknown to nature) Most people these days offer their services for money, and weird mystery schools with fancy curriculum, but this is not the way of Alchemy.. those people are neither Alchemists or Hermeticists, but 'enthusiasts'.. One who can make the Art of Arts whole to ones own self will be set up for life.. and achieve a skillset others can only dream of.. In the most literal sense of the word.. all of it.. 😋
In regard to classical works, though not really usable..:
http://gnosis.org/library/alch.htm
If looking through these books, you may notice the sheer amount of perspective mentionsin these texts.. Also quick note most if not all of these texts are either Greek, Roman, or "new age", and thus not very reliable..
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/tcbmstry.html
http://gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/TGH-v2/th202.html
I hope this will explain why I choose Ear to Mouth transmission over textual ones.. It is genuinely pointless to use text for Alchemy.. True understanding originates not from repeating the mouth expressed in texts, but from opening eyes to perspective, that can but has not to be from text, then you will See.. 😅