  We comment on past and more recent efforts to derive a formula yielding the
fine structure constant in terms of integers and transcendent numbers. We
analyse these "exoteric" attitudes and describe the myths regarding {\alpha},
which seems to have very ancient roots, tracing back to Cabbala and to medieval
alchemic conceptions. We discuss the obsession for this constant developed by
Pauli and the cultural "environment" in which such an "obsession" grew. We also
derive a simple formula for {\alpha} in terms of two numbers {\pi} and 137
only. The formula we propose reproduces the experimental values up to the last
significant digit, it has not any physical motivation and is the result of an
alchemic combination of numbers. We make a comparison with other existing
formulae, discuss the relevant limits of validity by comparison with the
experimental values and discuss a criterion to recover a physical meaning, if
existing, from their mathematical properties.
