The ancient Arabic name for Egypt was "Khemet", or "The Black Land". The western continuation of the Egyptian magical arts was called "Al-Khemet", meaning "from the Black Land". The cradle of civilization is also the ancestral home of a high science of magic. We explore the many modern encarnations of the ancient science of perfection and the transformation of the "materia prima" of the Alchemists. From Alchemy to Tarot, and in the many modern esoteric and mystical societies existing today, we explore the hidden thread that connects modern and ancient magic - The occult idea that consciousness is the materia prima. The coal that turns into a diamond. The lead that becomes gold.

• John Anthony West