Albertus Magnus: Alchemy, Arsenic, Astrology
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Albertus Magnus ( c. 1200 - 1280) is a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the greatest...
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...
24 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 5
- 5 min
Writing in Letters of Gold: Ancient Alchemy
Want to write in letters of gold? These ten alchemy recipes are from the Leyden Papyrus c. 250 AD. None are recommended unless there's a...
19 views
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,...
11 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 22
- 4 min
Agathodaemon: Fire, Silver & Alchemy
Agathodaemon (Agathodiamon) is an alchemist of ancient Alexandria. A snake god protector of the sparkling port city bears the same name....
16 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 18
- 3 min
Xanthosis, the Yellowing: Spiritual Alchemy
Xanthosis means "yellowness" . In alchemy and Jungian psychology, citrinitas is the solar day, the brightening and joyful spirit. ...
14 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 16
- 4 min
Alchemy: Mercurius & the Dragon
The Dragon is a powerful symbol in alchemy. Dragon is one of many names for the prima materia or Philosopher's Stone in the West. In...
21 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jul 2
- 6 min
Chinese Alchemy: Mind Body Spirit
Chinese alchemy is already in practice in the early centuries BCE. Ancient texts like the Cantong qi explain the body is central to...
21 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 29
- 3 min
Spagyria: Botanical Science of Alchemy
Spagyria is the alchemy of plants. In the quest for the Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life, alchemists work with the nature of...
44 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 25
- 4 min
Mad Hatter's Disease: Mercury Madness
Mad Hatter Disease is also called erethism, erethismus mercurialis or mad hatter syndrome. Caused by progressive mercury poisoning it's a...
28 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 24
- 4 min
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...
47 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 15
- 3 min
Shennong Primordial Farmer & Healer
Shennong is one of the Three Sovereigns of ancient Chinese lore. Also called the Divine Farmer, he's strongly associated with...
25 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 11
- 4 min
Serket - Scorpion Goddess of Egypt
Serket is the ancient Egyptian goddess of healing relating to venomous stings of scorpions and bites of snakes. She often wears a...
15 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 7
- 5 min
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 5
- 9 min
Poppaea Sabina: Child Bride to Roman Empress
Poppaea Sabina is a beautiful, ambitious woman embroiled in the plots and schemes of Imperial Rome. She manipulates her way to the bed of...
16 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 3
- 5 min
Wolfsbane (Aconitum) Ancient Poisons
Wolfsbane, monk's hood (Aconitum) delivers a lethal dose of poison. In the ancient world, poison plays a vital part, from death by elixir...
30 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 3
- 6 min
Women Scientists of the Ancient World
Women scientists work wonders in the ancient world. Science in history includes astrology, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, chemistry,...
41 views
Sylvia Rose
- Jun 2
- 4 min
Chun Yuyan & Death of Empress Xu
Chun Yuyan (Chunyu Yan) is a Chinese court official in the 1st century BCE, during the Han Dynasty. As obstetrician and gynecologist to...
21 views
Sylvia Rose
- May 31
- 6 min
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...
31 views
Sylvia Rose
- May 30
- 6 min
Cinnabar (Mercury Sulfide) Red Death
Cinnabar or mercury sulfide (HgS) is a rock composed of mercury (Hg) and sulfur (S). Historically it's used to make vermillion or scarlet...
50 views
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