The Guelphs and Ghibellines are feuding factions during the Italian Renaissance. Warfare and bloodshed between the two throw regions of...

George Ripley (c. 1415 -1490) is an English Augustinian Canon, author and alchemist. One of England's most famous alchemy practitioners,...

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

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 and Gnostic principles emerge in the first century AD, though they're believed to have deeper roots. Many different shades of...

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

Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician, has a deep interest in the occult. He writes of chronology, biblical interpretation...

Pedanius Dioscorides is a surgeon in the army of Emperor Nero . His knowledge of surgery and other medical skills suggests study in...

Christian Rosenkreuz is the legendary founder of the Rosicrucians (Order of the Rose Cross). Three writings attributed to him appear in...

Argyropoeia is the process of making silver from another metal, such as copper. Although gold-making or chrysopoeia is better known,...

Numerology has a long history of rich growth and insight into traditions of divination. In ancient civilizations and today, magic numbers...

Seven hermetic principles, or foundational modes of thought, are written in the 1908 Kybalion, a book of occult and philosophic works....

Claudius Ptolemy ( c.  100 - 170 AD) is a Greco-Egyptian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer and music theorist in...

Astrology and astronomy give insights into seasonal changes and human nature. In Western tradition, astronomy is based on observance of...

In the ancient Greek view, creation of astrology is attributed to the legendary sage Hermes Trismegistus. In Hellenic Greek times (323...

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

Alchemy is a popular pursuit in the vibrant atmosphere of ancient Alexandria , Egypt. Early alchemists are natural philosophers working...

Alexandria is on the Mediterranean coast at the Egyptian settlement Rhacotis, later the Egyptian quarter of the city. Due to its vast...

Plague, war, famine and pervading doom lurk beneath the genius and enlightenment of the western Renaissance. The Rosicrucian movement...

Edward Kelley (1555 - 1597) often wears a cap, because he has no ears. Cropping of the ears is a common punishment in Tudor England when...