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Sylvia Rose
Jul 23, 20244 min read
Calcination Process: Alchemy at High Heat
Calcination is a crucial process in sciences such as metallurgy and chemistry. A process of ancient alchemists, it's used allegorically...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 23, 20244 min read
Galena: Silver Lead Ore of Metallurgy
Galena (PbS) is the primary lead ore for centuries. Lead can be smelted from galena in a regular wood fire. Some galena deposits contain...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 22, 20244 min read
Cupellation: Alchemy Process of Metals
Cupellation is an ancient alchemy process used in metal separation. Alchemy comes from metallurgy and early medicine. The processes of...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 21, 20243 min read
Stephanus of Alexandria: the Last Intellectual
Stephanus of Alexandria (c. 580 - 640 AD) is a Christian philosopher bringing Alexandrian thought to Byzantine society. Despite moving to...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 21, 20244 min read
Olympiodorus Younger: the Last Neoplatonist
Olympiodorus the Younger, a prominent figure in late antiquity, is known as the last of the Neoplatonist pagans in Alexandria, Egypt. On...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 20, 20245 min read
The Great Library of Alexandria
The Great Library of Alexandria on the balmy shores of the Mediterranean and the Nile delta is a center of intellectual activity by c....
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 18, 20247 min read
Alchemy and the Art of Gold-Making
"Lead is the ancestor of all metals. For gold is not a metal, gold is light. Lead requires only four periods of two hundred years each,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 17, 20244 min read
Hermeticism & Alchemy in Alexandria
Hermeticism and alchemy fall in love in ancient Alexandria , Egypt. Their relationship begins almost 2000 years ago and still prevails...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 15, 20244 min read
Tria Prima: Birth & the Power of Three
In alchemy, triads, threes, triangles, trinities and trios have strong spiritual significance, often associated with mystical number...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 23, 20243 min read
Classic Elements & Concept of the One
The perception of the four elements defines the way a person sees the natural world and one's place within it. These fundamentals are...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 23, 20244 min read
Alchemy: Four Elements + The One
The Four Elements of nature magic and philosophy, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, arise from ancient Greek thinkers around the 6th century...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 21, 20245 min read
Colors of Alchemy: Rubedo Magnum Opus
Four color stages are required to reach the Magnum Opus, the Great Work or the Philosopher's Stone of the alchemist. These are nigredo...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 20, 20245 min read
Parabalani: Medics & Murderous Mobs
The parabalani (parabolini) range throughout Alexandria from the plague times of the 3rd century AD to the 6th century of Justinian....
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 20, 20247 min read
Hypatia: Scholar & Martyr Alexandria
Hypatia is a Neoplatonist philosopher and mathematician c. 350 - 415 AD in Alexandria. She's both a scholar and teacher. Daughter of a...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 18, 20246 min read
Khaos: Primal Goddess of Greek Myth
In the beginning, nothing exists but Khaos (Chaos). A female primordial entity, she personifies the time before creation, and exists...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 15, 20245 min read
Aesculapian Snakes: Nature & Lore
The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is a species of nonvenomous snake native to Europe. Among the largest European snakes, the...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 13, 20245 min read
Asclepius: Greek Medicine Snake God
Asclepius (Aesculapius) is a Greek hero and Divine Physician, god of medicine in ancient Greek myth. Son of Apollo, he learns healing...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 12, 20244 min read
Ruby, Rubies: Passion, Blood and Fire
Ruby is one of the five cardinal gems, together with diamond, amethyst, sapphire and emerald. From bright pink to deep blood red,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 7, 20245 min read
Narcissus the Freedman Imperial Rome
Tiberius Claudius Narcissus plays a major role in the court of Roman Emperor Claudius (r. 41 - 54 AD). A former slave, he gains great...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 6, 20246 min read
Slaves Unchained: Freedmen of Ancient Rome
Freedmen in ancient Rome (liberti or libertini) belong to a social class of former slaves given freedom and rights. Roman slaves are used...
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