Malaria: Roman Fever & Renaissance Plague
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The malaria parasite P. falciparum has existed for up to100,000 years. Its numbers rise c. 8000 BCE with the Neolithic Revolution....
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 15
- 7 min
Poison Pigments of Painters: Renaissance
During the Western Renaissance, new exciting artists' pigments appear in brilliant colors, vibrant scarlet red, deep rich blue,...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 13
- 5 min
Alchemy: How to Make Rosaceum Oil
Rosaceum or rosaceum oil is used in alchemical recipes for coloring gold or gems, and also has medicinal properties found in texts such...
22 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 13
- 4 min
Dioscorides: Natural Medicine of Ancients
Pedanius Dioscorides is a surgeon in the army of Emperor Nero . His knowledge of surgery and other medical skills suggests study in...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 13
- 5 min
Vinegar Cures of Physician Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40 - 90 AD), a Greek physician. is known as the father of pharmacognosy. Pharmacologist, botanist and prolific...
23 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 12
- 5 min
Vitriol in Alchemy: Caustic Compounds
Vitriols are among the most important alchemical ingredients. Green vitriol is the archaic term for all vitriols and now means ferrous...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 10
- 7 min
How to Make Asem: Essential Alchemy
Asem is a stock metal mix in alchemy , usually prepared in quantity ahead of time and added to alchemical recipes as needed. Asem is...
37 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 6
- 5 min
Celandine: Plant Toxins & Medicine
Celandine (Chelidonium majus) is a popular medicinal plant in the ancient world, also appearing in gold-making recipes of alchemists. Use...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 5
- 4 min
Rudolf II Renaissance Prague: Alchemy, Eros & Occult
The Kunstkammer or Art Chamber of Rudolf II is a delight. A patron of arts, science, literature and occult the Holy Roman Emperor...
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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 2
- 8 min
Alexandria: Jewel of Ancient History
Alexandria is on the Mediterranean coast at the Egyptian settlement Rhacotis, later the Egyptian quarter of the city. Due to its vast...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 2
- 5 min
Famous Women of Renaissance Alchemy
Women often find inspiration in alchemy. In the light of the Renaissance several female alchemists emerge. Women alchemists of the...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 1
- 10 min
Renaissance Apocalypse: End is Nigh
Plague, war, famine and pervading doom lurk beneath the genius and enlightenment of the western Renaissance. The Rosicrucian movement...
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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 30
- 4 min
Renaissance Alchemy: Tria Prima Meanings
The tria prima are mercury, sulfur and salt. Based on medieval views of mercury and sulfur making up all metals, Swiss physician and...
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 29
- 4 min
Theriac: Miracle Snake Venom Potion
Making a proper theriac takes months. The recipe calls for plants collected in season, and the distillation or fermentation of herbs,...
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 29
- 7 min
Naples Renaissance: Holy Alchemy
Convents play a crucial role as centers of research and innovation during the alchemical Renaissance in Naples. The religious...
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Sylvia Rose
- Jul 28
- 3 min
Leucosis, the Pallor: Spiritual Alchemy
In spiritual alchemy , leucosis is the bloated white underbelly of albedo , the purification. Leucosis corresponds to psychic disease or...
11 views
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 27
- 3 min
Panacea: Goddess of Universal Health
In Greek mythology, Panacea is a healing goddess with a large family. Her father is Asclepius, god of medicine and son of visionary god...
14 views
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