Sylvia Rose
Xanthosis, the Yellowing: Spiritual Alchemy
Xanthosis means "yellowness" . In alchemy and Jungian psychology, citrinitas is the solar day, the brightening and joyful spirit. ...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 164 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 26 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 293 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 254 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 234 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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 153 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 114 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 75 min read
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 59 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 35 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 36 min read
Women Scientists of the Ancient World
Women scientists work wonders in the ancient world. Science in history includes astrology, astronomy, medicine, alchemy, chemistry,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 24 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
May 316 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...
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Sylvia Rose
May 306 min read
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...
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Sylvia Rose
May 286 min read
Quest for Immortality - Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shihuang (Qin Shi Huang) is China's first Emperor. He ascends to the throne as King at age 13 in 246 BCE. Twenty five years later he...
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Sylvia Rose
May 276 min read
Chinese Alchemical Elixir Poisoning
Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning in ancient China is generally a death of the rich. Poisoning occurs over time or swiftly, caused by...
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Sylvia Rose
May 14 min read
Is Cherry Laurel Poisonous?
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is an Old World evergreen species of the cherry family. Often mistaken for edible bay laurel, Prunus...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 283 min read
Grayanotoxins: the Madness of Honey
Grayanotoxins are neurotoxins. They're active ingredients in mad honey, produced by bees harvesting pollen and nectar of plants carrying...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 284 min read
Rhododendron & the Toxic Ambrosia
Rhododendron is a plant genus of the heather family. With bright showy flowers, this glamorous perennial is known for its medicinal...
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