top of page
Sylvia Rose
Jul 25, 20244 min read
Pope vs Alchemy 1317 AD: Falsification
Pope John Paul XII bans the practice of alchemy for the falsification of metals in 1317. In the Middle Ages, alchemy is a mysterious...
23 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 24, 20244 min read
Alchemists & Formulas: Pseudo-Democritus
Pseudo-Democritus numbers among the Alexandrian alchemists and writers, with works appearing in the early centuries AD. Originally...
14 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 18, 20243 min read
Xanthosis, the Yellowing: Spiritual Alchemy
Xanthosis means "yellowness" . In alchemy and Jungian psychology, citrinitas is the solar day, the brightening and joyful spirit. ...
16 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 16, 20242 min read
Alchemy Symbols: Tail of the Peacock
Cauda Pavonis (Tail of the Peacock) is a crucial phase in the intricate process of alchemy, symbolizing the transition from putrefaction...
23 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 14, 20243 min read
Alchemy Colors: Color Phase Therapy
In alchemy the four colors black, white, yellow and red define phases of psychological growth, enlightenment or physical process as the...
28 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 30, 20244 min read
Alchemy & Psychology: Hidden Meanings
The essence of alchemy transcends chemical experiments. Alchemists seek to experience psychological processes, conveyed through mystical...
16 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 26, 20243 min read
Spiritual Alchemy: Process & Philosophy
Spiritual alchemy goes beyond the surface of human psyche and delves deep into the intricate realms of perception of Self. It's created...
14 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20243 min read
Colors of Alchemy: Citrinitas Solar Yellow
Citrinitas is an alchemical term for "yellowness." It is one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus. In alchemical...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20243 min read
Colors of Alchemy: White Albedo Purification
In alchemy, albedo (whiteness) is the second in four major stages of the Magnum Opus, along with nigredo, citrinitas and rubedo. After...
38 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20246 min read
Colors of Alchemy: Black Nigredo Putrefaction
In alchemy, nigredo (blackness) means putrefaction or decomposition. As the first step in the path to the philosopher's stone, nigredo...
53 views
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...
47 views
Sylvia Rose
Jun 21, 20245 min read
Chrysopoeia - Turning Lead into Gold
Chrysopoeia is Greek for "goldsmithing." It's the alchemical process or action of turning a base metal such as lead into the noble metal...
58 views
Sylvia Rose
May 31, 20246 min read
Vermilion - Scarlet Pigment of Death
Vermilion (vermillion) is a brilliant red, orange-red or scarlet pigment obtained by grinding cinnabar (HgS), a sulfur and mercury ore. A...
37 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 15, 20244 min read
Alum: Tanning, Dye & Beauty Salts
Alum is an ingredient in processes such as dyeing fabric, tanning hides and water purification. Alum is ubiquitous in ancient and...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
Apr 14, 20244 min read
Tanning Hides - Ancient Techniques
Tanning hides is practiced in the ancient world since c. 7000 BCE, in the Indus Valley site of Mehgarh. By 2500 BCE, Sumerians of...
20 views
Sylvia Rose
Mar 23, 20246 min read
Yarrow (Achillea) Magic & Medicine
Yarrow is an herb of magic and medicine. A flowering plant native to the northern hemisphere yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is commonly...
33 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
bottom of page