Thaumaturgy

I tested this on beta trying to figure out what is the most basic result when performing thaumaturgy on each material.
For this test I used 1000 of rank 2 of each mat (except Storm Dust and [item=228232] which I used rank 3) and my profession was 50/100 with no tool or accessory equipped, no profession knowledge used and no concentration used.
I will post the results of detailed test bellow for curious minds but first let's sum up the relevant info.

Thaumaturgy of basic mats:
There is 3 different Transmutagens and each drops from a specific group of mats.

- [item=211802] - Mycobloom, Bismuth, [item=228232], Storm Dust
- [item=211803] - Luredrop, [item=210803], Aqirite, [item=212668]
- [item=211804] - [item=210806], [item=210809], [item=210937], [item=212665]

Thaumaturgy of Transmutagens:
- Thaumaturgy of [item=211802] yields materials from Mercurial group ([item=211803], Luredrop, [item=210803], Aqirite, [item=212668])
- Thaumaturgy of [item=211803] yields materials from Volatile group ([item=211804], [item=210806], [item=210809], [item=210937], [item=212665])
- Thaumaturgy of [item=211804] yields materials from Ominous group ([item=211802], Mycobloom, Bismuth, [item=228232], Storm Dust)

Each transmutation yielded 1-2 of corresponding Transmutagen and 8-12 total of other mats from the group at rank 1 quality. Except [item=228232]... It might be beta bug or might be that cloth is considered a weak material that can't yield anything useful when transmuted - we shell find out!
Now this is the bare minimum with nothing leveled, when I capped my profession, specialization and tools I started getting more mats, better quality, some gemstones and other useful alchemy mats...
The important thing to notice on capped profession and spec - it will most likely always be optimal to use rank 2 mats for Thaumaturgy since rank 2 mats yield rank 2 and rank 3 mats only yield rank 3 if concentration is used.

Results of my Thaumaturgy testing:

Herbs:

Mycobloom - 72 [item=211802], 195 Storm Dust, 150 Bismuth, 119 [item=228232], 3 [item=228720]
Luredrop - 70 [item=211803], 172 [item=210803], 163 [item=212668], 145 Aqirite, 2 [item=228720]
[item=210803] - 72 [item=211803], 181 Luredrop, 147 [item=212668], 153 Aqirite, 2 [item=228720]
[item=210806] - 77 [item=211804], 192 [item=210809], 144 [item=212665], 159 [item=210937], 1 [item=228720]
[item=210809] - 74 [item=211804], 166 [item=210806], 160 [item=212665], 152 [item=210937], 2 [item=228720]

Ores:

Bismuth - 69 [item=211802], 152 Storm Dust, 153 Mycobloom, 171 [item=228232], 3 [item=228720]
Aqirite - 72 [item=211803], 155 [item=210803], 194 [item=212668], 131 Luredrop, 2 [item=228720]
[item=210937] - 63 [item=211804], 173 [item=210806], 126 [item=212665], 176 [item=210809], 3 [item=228720]

Leather:

[item=212668] - 73 [item=211803], 168 [item=210803], 170 Aqirite, 148 Luredrop, 2 [item=228720]
[item=212665] - 72 [item=211804], 164 [item=210806], 155 [item=210937], 158 [item=210809], 2 [item=228720]

Dust:

Storm Dust - 72 [item=211802], 141 Mycobloom, 171 Bismuth, 158 [item=228232], 5 [item=228720], [item=223487] (I suspect this procced bcz I used rank 3, yucky looking pet!)

Cloth:

[item=228232] - 50 [item=228720]

Transmutagens:

[item=211802] - 78 [item=211803], 113 Luredrop, 141 [item=210803], 125 Aqirite, 109 [item=212668], 1 [item=228720]
[item=211803] - 74 [item=211804], 77 [item=210806], 126 [item=210809], 139 [item=210937], 123 [item=212665], 2 [item=228720]
[item=211804] - 75 [item=211802], 109 Mycobloom, 139 Bismuth, 126 [item=228232], 131 Storm Dust, 0 [item=228720]

If you only just started doing Alchemy and do not have the Philosopher's Stone required to do Thaumaturgy yet, the easiest and cheapest one to get is the following:

Get 3 Golden Lotus (Cheap on AH), train Pandaren Alchemy (e.g. in Klaxxi'vess) and learn the Zen Alchemist Stone recipe. Craft that one.

UNDERSTANDING THAUMATURGY AND TRANSMUTATION IN THE WAR WITHIN

Thaumaturgy and Transmutation are two Alchemical processes that can turn materials into different ones. Don't be fooled by the description - it's not a "miracle", it's SCIENCE!

• Thaumaturgy consumes 20 of a certain material to produce a smaller amount of something different. As the description reads, the process is highly destructive, which translates to an overall loss of 30% to 60%. That is, consuming 20 of something results in 8-14 of a different thing. There's a catch - With certain amount of Skill and Concentration, we can also consume low-quality materials to produce higher-quality ones, which can offset the material loss.
  └─►With full Rare gear ([item=222850]+[item=219872]+[item=222576]), maxed Thaumaturgy talents, and 50/50 in Alchemical Mastery, you have just enough skill to get Rank 2 materials out of Rank 1 ones and Transmutagen.
• 
  
• We'll also get some "Transmutagen" in the process, a material so sticky that it's bind-on-pickup; and that we'll have to process further using our Alchemical skills (either Thaumaturgy or Transmutation) before it becomes useful again.
• 
  
• Transmutation turns our Transmutagen into useful materials. This process is more productive than Thaumaturgy, but is limited by a cooldown.
• 
  
• One important note about Transmutation is that Transmutagen is a Rank 1 material, so the results can be poor. Just as it happened with Thaumaturgy, Maximum specialization points and Rare gear is required to guarantee Rank 2 items (Rank 3 with Concentration)

Now we get to the interesting part. How do they work, and what can we do with them?

• The most important thing to understand is that ALL crafting reagents are subdivided in three families: Volatile, Ominous, and Mercurial.
• 
  
• Performing Thaumaturgy on a certain material produces materials from the same family (different from what was used) and transmutagen from the "next" family.
  └─►[item=212666] (Mercurial) turns into a different Mercurial ([item=210807]/[item=210810]/Ironclaw Ore) plus [item=211804].
• 
  
• Transmutagen can be used in both Thaumaturgy and Transmutation, producing materials from its own family. Transmutation is considerably more efficient.
  └─►[item=211804], when consumed in Thaumaturgy, produces ANY material from the Volatile family plus some [item=211802].
  └─►It can also be used on Volatile Weaving (producing [item=210798]/[item=228232]) and Volatile Stone (producing [item=210932]/Storm Dust)
• 
  
• Initially, Transmutation will only let us cycle between different transmutagens. To discover new recipes, we have to perform Thaumaturgy on Transmutagen a certain family.
  └─►If we want to discover Mercurial Storms, we'll have to consume [item=211803] until we learn it. It is impossible to discover recipes from another family.
• 
  
• Once specialized, Thaumathurgy and Transmutation will produce more Transmutagen, as well as some of the "precursor" family; but NEVER from its own family.
  └─►Ominous materials produce a lot of [item=211803] and some [item=211804]; but NO [item=211802] - even with maxed specialization!
• 
  
• [item=211805] is a special type that has no associated family - can be obtained from anything, and be transmuted into anything; but cannot be used in Thaumaturgy.
  └─►[spell=449938] produces random materials at random qualities; while Gleaming Glory is the only source for Blasphemite.
• 
  
• Lastly, [item=223487] is a Companion that can very rarely result from any act of Thaumaturgy.

All this knowledge can summarized in the following chart; which describes all reagent families and processes.

⠀
[item=211804]

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░Transmutation░░░░
──────────────────►
░░░Thaumaturgy░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░


VOLATILE MATERIALS

[item=210798]
[item=228232]
[item=210932]
Storm Dust

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
◄───────┐░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░
░Thaumaturgy──────►
░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░
────────┘░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

⠀
[item=211802]

‎░░░░░░░░░▲░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░░
░┌──Thaumaturgy──┐░
░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│░
░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▼░

░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░│Transmutation░
░░░░│░Thaumaturgy░░
░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░│░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░▼░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

MERCURIAL MATERIALS

[item=210807]
[item=210810]
Ironclaw Ore
[item=212666]

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░Transmutation░░
◄──────────────────
░░░░░Thaumaturgy░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

⠀
[item=211803]

­░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░┌───────►
░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░
◄──────Thaumaturgy░
░░░░░░░░░░│░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░└────────
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

OMINOUS MATERIALS

Luredrop
[item=210804]
Aqirite
[item=212669]