This is the last manuscript of Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz, dictated during the final years of her life. If not only contains a brilliant historical survey of alchemy since Egyptian times, but above all, a profound comment on a newly translated Arabic alchemical text from the 10th Century which is a ’Summa’ of her entire life’s experience and work.

Dr. Marie-Louise von Franz (1915, Munich -1989) was Philogogist and Jungian Psychologist, practicing in Kusnacht near Zurich. She was scholar of C.G. Jung and started working with him in 1934 mainly on the field of alchemy. She edited, translated and wrote e a Jungian psychological interpretation on the latin alchemical treatises of Thomas of Aquins 'Aurora consurgens', 1957 and on arabic alchemical text of Ibn Umails "Book of the Explanation of the Symbols" (Kitab Hall ar-Rumuz) as well as on many fairy tales. She worked as analypracticing in Kustnacht, as training analyst at the C.G.-Jung-Institut in Zuich. Honorary president of the "Research and Training Centre for Depth Psychology according to C.G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz in Zurich"; Co-founder of the "Foundation for Jungian Psychology". Theodor Abt (b. 1947) Jungian Analyst in private practice. 1983-88 member of the board of the C.G. Jung-Institute, Professor for Rural Sociology at the ETH. Since 1995, member of the board of the Research and Training Centre for Depth Psychology according to C.G. Jung and M.-L. von Franz, Zurich. Since 1988, President of the Society of the Friends of the Royal Tombs of Egypt. Author of: Progress without Loss of Soul (1990).

Foreword by the Editor Foreword by Marie-Louise von Franz Part I: Introduction 1. The Religious Eros in the Arab Culture 2. The Loss of the Dimension of Divine Matter 3. The Transition of Alchemy into the Western World 4. A Modern View of Eros 5. The Life and Work of Muhammad ibn Umail Part II: Commentary on the Hall ar-Rumuz 1. General Reflections 2. Text and Commentary Part III: Ending of Manuscript G, not written by Ibn Umail 1. Introduction by the Editor 2. Text and Commentary Part IV: Apparatus 1. Bibliography 2. General Index 3. Glossary 4. Diacritical Signs