Sorry it took so long for me to get backto you about this. I see you rolled botch dice, which is good. You actually rolled to many! A Magic Aura does not add to the botch dice for the use of Magic. An Infernal or Faerie or Divine aura would, and if it was a regio then it would be double. But a magic aura or a magic regio, even level 10, does not add to botch dice for magic use. Extra stressful circulstances could though, but anyway, it appears that you succeeded in your experiment and the validity check. I must admit though, I am kind of iffy about this script of yours. The Philosopher Stone Quest and the Gold Sacrifice, it seems kind of non-sequiter. I mean, I understand whatthey have to do with Alchemy, but what do they have to do with each other? Does this gold sacrifice have to be made right away or can you take time between finding the stone and the spell that transforms the gold? And why a spont spell? Why not a Formulaic spell (or ether or)? And how does this constitute a sacrifice? The Gold changes to magic energy, but when the spell expires it turns back into gold.
I am assigning a -2 Sympathetic Penalty to the script (TMRE, p. 16 & p. 18). Mainly because I think the script is a bit wonky and because I liked mine a lot better (and because it seems to me you are trying to shortcut around having to learn more Alchemy lore). Thus your Initiation total is only 17. You need to increase your Alchemy Lore score by one more points before you can use it.
The idea was for the gold to be transfigured into magic, replacing the Philosopher's Stone as it was extracted from the matrix. The gold is thereby lost in the transformation. Normally the gold would be expected to revert to material form, but because it is magic it enters the matrix from which the Philosopher's Stone is extracted and is thereby carried throughout the local aura. If it reverts, it will become a part of the total lode and not something which can be retrieved.
The reason for a Spont. spell instead of Formulaic is that the Magus must be able to adjust the sacrifice to that particular place and the confluence of factors prevailing at the moment of extraction of the Philosopher's Stone. Magic ebbs and flows, changing with the seasons, with Astrological influences, with the time of day, etc. The concept is to be able to fathom that flow as it runs through the world, transforming one of the "purest" of material substances into it--and then gaining a Philosopher's Stone as it will revert back. This presages the alternating transfiguration that enables Philosophic Alchemy to extract magic from the ambient.
I have no idea what you are talking about. What matrix? Where does the concept of a matrix appear in ArM5? And what does Keannu Reeves have to do with this? This makes no sense to me. And you seem to be implying that spontaneous magic is superior to formulaic in some aspect, a concept I am vehemently opposed to. Formula spells can indeed be varied. Word, Gestures, Mastery abilities, choosing what the target is, and etceteras.
But still, the script is approved. It just has a -2 penalty for negative sympathy because of the reasons I described earlier.
Please, just work with me here. I am having a lot of issues to deal with currently. Having to increase your Alchemy Lore one point is no big deal, it will be of greater enefit to you in the long run.
This is fine, and I can perfectly understand the whole "perfect place and time" thing.
However, as you noted, mythically speaking, it'd be a lot more appropriate if you spend time in calculations and all, creating a detailled horoscope to enhance you spellcasting based on the place and time, and then, cast the spell (or better yet, a ritual spell you could have invented for the occasion, like change a base metal to a purer one), rather than "I go, look around me, see that it's noon, and hop, spont cast, no real effort or preparation, and it's done".
ACtually, for alchemy and such, it makes a lot more sense to cast the horoscope to find the best time and place to do the ritual, not try to make things work in the here and now. It is very formulaic like the harvesting herbs under the full moon to get their maximum potency. You aren't going to get as good of an effect in any here and now than a planned and ideal there and when.
I think we have a serious miscommunication here. A matrix, in geology, is the surrounding material or rock that holds a specimen. A fossil or gem matrix is what holds the find within the surrounding strata. One usually has to remove the entire surrounding matrix to avoid damaging the find, carefully stripping away the clinging matrix once the find has been separated. In the case of the Mystery Initiation the gold is used to replace the Philosopher's Stone within the magical matrix of the lode, freeing it. Due to the process of transformation and substitution, the gold itself is sacrificed, becoming a part of the original matrix and potentially the larger lode.
I am in no way referencing a movie which I consider to be disturbingly overhyped, badly constructed, implicitly loaded with bad science-fiction, bad science, and bad philosophy. Don't get me started.
I understand that there are quite a few things preoccupying your attention. I just wanted this point to be clear.
A detailed horoscope would make an excellent tool for extracting the stone, but the Formulaic spell would, I think, have to be specifically designed for that ONE extraction, to be used on a certain day of the year at a certain time. Vares' Flexible Magic might enable him to use the spell for similar purposes, but for most Magi it would be close to a single-use spell.
The ability of Spontaneous Magic to handle all of the exact variables of a given situation is well established. For instance, in "The Lion of the North" breaking a Curse with Hermetic Magic requires the use of a Spontaneous Spell or else the meticulous research of a Formulaic Spell good for that one Curse and only that one Curse. While I can see the argument in favour of a specific Formulaic spell--which would extend the Script value due to the extra time and effort required--that wasn't what was originally envisioned. Maybe a later version will use it instead.
Then, why don't you invent it? A MuTe(Vi) spell would be much more in keeping with the mysteries overall feeling, more mythical than "been there, done that", and could also serve you later as a kind to PeTe spell, wouldn't it?
Hell, I wasted 2 seasons in DT's creation inventing spells (Summon and Coerce the magical spirit) for background initiation purposes, as it felt "right", and I don't think I'll ever use them In fact, my whole focus is mostly here for background purposes as, rules-wise, I play DT as any other verditius (Whereas, in fluff, his focus applies to almost every artefact he creates) instead of pulling the same "everything" trick as vortigern. Don't shy away from a single, potentially useful spell!
I happen to like the movie "The Matrix". I think the 2nd & 3rd movies bit though.
Lion of the North, that is 3rd/4th edition, and has no relevance on a 5th edition game. In fact, I like the ritual spell idea better. Then it is a true sacrifice in that you had to spend vis, which won't come back at the end of the spell (unlike muto'ed gold, which reverts back at the end of the spell).
Still, like I said, the script is approved. Just a small sympathy penalty.
For the sake of the board, I won't get into all of the failings I perceive in "The Matrix". I will recommend the very first VR world book, "The Eden Cycle", written in the early- to mid-1970s. It is much more thoughtful.
Vares has a working Script. He can modify it once he realises he's not quite up to making it Work. A Ritual extraction spell... I like it, too. Something intended to draw forth and concentrate the magic into a vessel is a perfect reflection of what Philosophic Alchemy is trying to achieve, albeit in reverse. The key idea is that magic and material are interchangeable, that it is possible to rarefy the material into the magical and to invest the magical into the material.
In fact, my whole focus is mostly here for background purposes 
as, rules-wise, I play DT as any other verditius (Whereas, in fluff, his focus applies to almost every artefact he creates) instead of pulling the same "everything" trick as vortigern. Don't shy away from a single, potentially useful spell!