313: The History of Alchemy (with Sara Norja)

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What you know about alchemy might only be a scratch on the surface. Metal to gold? It’s so much more than that! We’re joined by Sara Norja, who is teaching us the history of alchemy. Also featuring PhD swords, philology, and the alchemy of ISAAC NEWTON??</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Content Warning:</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This episode contains conversations about or mentions of pseudoscience, stillbirth, death, and medical issues. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Guest</strong></p> <p><a href="http://snuu.kapsi.fi/saranorja/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Sara Norja</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">dreams in two languages and has a predilection for tea. Born in England to Finnish parents and settled in Helsinki, Finland, she lives for words, dance, and moments of wonder. She has a PhD in English language history; her dissertation was on early English alchemical manuscript texts. She writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in English and Finnish.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Housekeeping</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Recommendation</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">: This week, Julia recommends</span> <a href= "https://bookshop.org/a/822/9780593200162"><em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">by India Holton. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Books</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at</span> <a href= "http://spiritspodcast.com/books"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">spiritspodcast.com/books</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Call to Action</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">: Check out</span> <a href= "https://www.jointhepartypod.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Join the Part