Alexandria & the Siege of Diocletian
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Ancient Alexandria, jewel of Egypt, is renowned as a city of philosophy, medicine and alchemy. A crucial turning point happens 297 AD....
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 20
- 5 min
Alchemy: Metallurgy, Myths & Magic
Alchemy has a lifelong relationship with the magic of metals and their multiple manifestations. Metal workers and later blacksmiths...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 20
- 4 min
Smelting Metals: Metalwork & Alchemy
In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...
12 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 19
- 4 min
Pill of Immortality: Chinese Alchemy
The Pill of Immortality or Immortality Pill is a life-giving substance in Chinese alchemy . Also called xiandan (仙丹), jindan (金丹), or dan...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 18
- 6 min
Renaissance Astrology: Power of Stars & Planets
Astrology prospers in the East after the 476 AD fall of the Roman Empire. Indian, Persian, and Islamic writers prolifically translate...
10 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 17
- 3 min
Sweet Wormwood: Malaria Miracle Cure
Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood appears in traditional Chinese medicine texts of Ge Hong ( 283 - 364 AD) as an early remedy to treat...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 16
- 5 min
Lapis Lazuli: Creating Ultramarine
Lapis lazuli or "blue stone" is prized for its depth and brilliance in paint as the color ultramarine. Before the 1800s, ultramarine...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 16
- 4 min
Cosimo de' Medici & the Italian Renaissance
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Cosimo the Elder, is a leading figure in the rise of Florence as the Italian Renaissance...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 15
- 4 min
Gnosticism: Gnostic Ways of Thought
Gnosticism emerges in the 1st century AD as a philosophical and religious movement seeking a unique perspective on spiritual...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 11
- 4 min
Alchemy: Ancient Purification of Tin
Tin purification is important to various alchemical practices, and a fundamental step in many recipes and formulas. In alchemy purified...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 9
- 4 min
Numerology: Number Meanings & Personality
Numbers exude and attract vibrational energy. From the ancients to the modern world, numbers resonate with shades of meaning. This can be...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 6
- 3 min
Medieval Astrology of Islam
Medieval Islamic astrology and astronomy begin in traditions of the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Early astronomy observes seasonal changes...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 5
- 5 min
Writing in Letters of Gold: Ancient Alchemy
Want to write in letters of gold? These ten alchemy recipes are from the Leyden Papyrus c. 250 AD. None are recommended unless there's a...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 4
- 4 min
Nāgārjuna: Buddhist Mystic & Alchemist
Nāgārjuna (c. 150-250 AD) is considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers in Indian history. Nāgārjuna's works have...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 3
- 7 min
Glass & Arts of Ancient Glass Making
Glass production prospers in Alexandria c. 1st century AD. Early glass makers produce colored beads and later utensils. With clear glass,...
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 31
- 3 min
Soul Perspectives: Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato
The concept of a human soul, as well as a world soul or Anima Mundi, is found in many cultures. In Greek philosophy ancient thinkers...
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 31
- 4 min
Aristotle: Intellect & Psyche the Soul
Aristotle (c. 350 BCE) develops the Platonic concept of souls present in living beings, categorizing them based on distinct functions....
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 28
- 5 min
Four Humors & Medical Stagnation
The theory of the four humors dominates medicine for two thousand years. Since the time of the ancient Greeks to the 19th century, humor...
36 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 24
- 4 min
Islamic Alchemy: Abu Bakr al-Razi
Abū Bakr al-Rāzī c. 864 - 930 AD is a Persian alchemist, philosopher and physician during the Islamic Golden Age . One of the most...
27 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 23
- 6 min
Hair Loss: 9 Natural Cures of Physician Dioscorides
Hair loss and baldness ( alopecia ) is a fear in ancient times, if hair is a sign of status, youth or virility. First century AD Greek...
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