Far above and beyond the usual core of alchemical literature which is often difficult to understand and sometimes impossibly so, the work of Philalethes stands in stark contrast. Written in the 17th century, this work not only mentions other works of note circulating in the same circles at the time (a valuable notation of works the modern mage may wish to acquire) but explicitly places alchemy in the category of chemical art, as opposed to herbal or spiritual practice. Through understanding this text it is said that the possibility of creating the Philosophers' Stone is both real and attainable by anyone with patience and skill.