Astrology prospers in the East after the 476 AD fall of the Roman Empire. Indian, Persian, and Islamic writers prolifically translate...

Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood appears in traditional Chinese medicine texts of Ge Hong ( 283 - 364 AD) as an early remedy to treat...

Lapis lazuli or "blue stone" is prized for its depth and brilliance in paint as the color ultramarine. Before the 1800s, ultramarine...

Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Cosimo the Elder, is a leading figure in the rise of Florence as the Italian Renaissance...

Gnosticism emerges in the 1st century AD as a philosophical and religious movement seeking a unique perspective on spiritual...

Numbers exude and attract vibrational energy. From the ancients to the modern world, numbers resonate with shades of meaning. This can be...

Medieval Islamic astrology and astronomy begin in traditions of the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Early astronomy observes seasonal changes...

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...

Nāgārjuna (c. 150-250 AD) is considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers in Indian history. Nāgārjuna's works have...

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...

Aristotle (c. 350 BCE) develops the Platonic concept of souls present in living beings, categorizing them based on distinct functions....

Abū Bakr al-Rāzī c. 864 - 930 AD is a Persian alchemist, philosopher and physician during the Islamic Golden Age . One of the most...

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...

Agathodaemon (Agathodiamon) is an alchemist of ancient Alexandria. A snake god protector of the sparkling port city bears the same name....

Stephanus of Alexandria (c. 580 - 640 AD) is a Christian philosopher bringing Alexandrian thought to Byzantine society. Despite moving to...

The Great Library of Alexandria on the balmy shores of the Mediterranean and the Nile delta is a center of intellectual activity by c....

Hermes Trismegistus is in deep contemplation, wandering over rugged and lonely terrain. By the secret guidelines of the Temple, he...

Azoth emerges from the mystical world of alchemy. It represents a universal panacea or potent solvent sought by alchemists for...

Jabir ibn Hayyan is a medieval Islamic figure. Alchemy, magic, philosophy and religion come together in a vast corpus of writings. As his...

Metals, planets, their properties and symbols give insight into nature and personality. The seven metals of antiquity correspond with the...