top of page
Sylvia Rose
Jul 28, 20243 min read
Roger Bacon: Medieval Science & Alchemy
Roger Bacon (c. 1219 - 1292) is a Franciscan friar and fiery figure in medieval and later science and philosophy. He's known for his...
50 views
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...
15 views
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....
34 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 12, 20246 min read
Pure Form, Archetypes & Alchemy
Plato's Theory of Forms points to abstract, ideal forms or concepts more real than the world one perceives. Alchemy deconstructs the...
11 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 24, 20246 min read
Alchemy of Islam: Medieval Golden Age
Islamic alchemy gives a glimpse of a world where science and mysticism intertwine and the pursuit of knowledge transcends boundaries. In...
47 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 23, 20244 min read
Alchemy Tria Prima of Paracelsus: Three Primes
The Three Primes or tria prima of alchemy come from renegade Renaissance physician Paracelsus. The tria prima are salt , sulfur and...
49 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 29, 20244 min read
Honey Mead: Most Ancient Ambrosia
Honey mead is likened to ambrosia , nectar of the Greek Gods, with qualities of immortality and divine transcendence, beloved by bears...
61 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 20, 20246 min read
Lake Van: Fate of a Primeval Soda Salt Lake
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey. A saline soda lake, it's fed by numerous mountain streams. Van lacks a water outlet, making it...
34 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 12, 20246 min read
Stymphalian Birds & Greek Heroics
The Stymphalian birds are vicious flesh-eating birds in Greek mythology. They're believed to originate from the swamps of Stymphalia in...
58 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 8, 20246 min read
Sträggele: Witch Hag of the Wild Hunt
Sträggele is the wife of the Dread Huntsman, der Türst of Lucerne canton in Switzerland. In Lucerne the huntsman, Sträggele and their...
25 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 4, 20245 min read
Mugwort (Wormwood) Medicine & Herb Lore
Mugworts are used in folk medicine of India, China, Europe, America and other regions. A member of Artemisia , mugwort is also called...
55 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 15, 20247 min read
Verdigris: Coveted Blue Green Copper Pigment
Verdigris is the green rust or patina on copper, created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the environment. Copper corrodes green to...
68 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 11, 20245 min read
Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans
Black is among the first pigments in the palette of early humans. By Paleolithic times, black defines lines, shadows and meaning. Black...
63 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 10, 20243 min read
White Pigments of Ancient Artisans
White pigments used in ancient art, spirituality and beauty include bone, limestone variations like chalk and other natural sources....
46 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 6, 20246 min read
Red Ocher (Ochre) Ancient Pigments
Red ocher is among the first colors appearing on the palette of early humans, along with white and red. Black, white and red are also...
61 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 3, 20245 min read
Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments
Limonite is an iron earth mineraloid among the first colors of the Stone Age palette. Grinding limonite produces yellow ochre. Other...
44 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 1, 20244 min read
Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments
Woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) is a plant yielding a blue pigment used in dyes, paint and medicine. A member of the mustard family, it's also...
50 views
Sylvia Rose
Jan 28, 20247 min read
Hattusilis III - Great Hittite Kings Bronze Age
Youngest of four sons, Hattusilis (Hattusili) doesn't expect to take the throne. In fact he's not expected to live. Weak and sickly as a...
28 views
Sylvia Rose
Dec 26, 20236 min read
Kur - Underworld of Mesopotamia
Kur is the vast and timeless Underworld of ancient Mesopotamia. Here is the abode of demons and vengeful spirits, creatures of the...
55 views
Sylvia Rose
Dec 15, 20233 min read
Carnelian - Sunny Gems of the Ancient World
Carnelian (early: cornelean ) is already used in the Stone Age to make beads. Pebbles of the reddish orange gemstone might be polished by...
62 views
bottom of page