Going off of those comments, alchemy was the search to create the fabled philosopher’s stone (also known as the sorcerer’s stone to Harry Potter fans in the USA). The legend of the philosopher’s stone is that the stone could turn base metals like lead into precious metals like gold and would grant immortality to the one who possessed the stone. In OUaT-legend, we know Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltksin could make gold from straw and that he’s been alive for centuries (and is likely immortal). In a sense, Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltksin IS the philosopher’s stone.
I have a new theory starting to develop. In alchemy, white arsenic was considered a key step to making the philosopher’s stone. White arsenic “helps to make the pill of immortality, the conclusion of the Great Work, or search for the philosopher’s stone to transmute base elements into gold.” What if the reversed (upside-down) symbol of white arsenic on Rumpel’s medallion represents Rumpel’s curse being reversed? 😮
In the new promo for s2, there is a brief glimpse of Mr.Gold/Rumpel is holding up his knife (with his name on it) to the medallion with the reversed symbol of white arsenic. I wonder if he is performing a ritual which he believes will help reverse his curse of being the Dark One. Adam and Eddy said S2 is all about redemption and second chances. I’d like to see Mr. Gold/Rumpel find his happy ending.
"That’s how you know you’ve really got a home. When you leave it, there’s this feeling that you can’t shake. You just miss it." Neal Cassidy