Magic Metals, Gold, Smiths & Alchemists
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In Eastern and Western alchemy, the transformation of metals into gold (Au) symbolizes a process of maturation for metal and alchemist....
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 20
- 4 min
Smelting Metals: Metalwork & Alchemy
In alchemy an essential piece of equipment is the hearth or forge. Smelting metal applies heat and a reducing agent to separate one or...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 19
- 6 min
Elixir Vitae: Giambattista della Porta
In the European alchemical tradition, the elixir vitae or elixir of life is associated with the philosopher's stone. Legend has it...
26 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 19
- 6 min
Guelphs & Ghibellines: Blood of the Renaissance
The Guelphs and Ghibellines are feuding factions during the Italian Renaissance. Warfare and bloodshed between the two throw regions of...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 18
- 6 min
Renaissance Astrology: Power of Stars & Planets
Astrology prospers in the East after the 476 AD fall of the Roman Empire. Indian, Persian, and Islamic writers prolifically translate...
10 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 17
- 3 min
Sweet Wormwood: Malaria Miracle Cure
Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood appears in traditional Chinese medicine texts of Ge Hong ( 283 - 364 AD) as an early remedy to treat...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 17
- 5 min
Malaria: Roman Fever & Renaissance Plague
The malaria parasite P. falciparum has existed for up to100,000 years. Its numbers rise c. 8000 BCE with the Neolithic Revolution....
19 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 16
- 5 min
Lapis Lazuli: Creating Ultramarine
Lapis lazuli or "blue stone" is prized for its depth and brilliance in paint as the color ultramarine. Before the 1800s, ultramarine...
14 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 16
- 4 min
Cosimo de' Medici & the Italian Renaissance
Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Cosimo the Elder, is a leading figure in the rise of Florence as the Italian Renaissance...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 15
- 6 min
Birds and Bird Symbolism in Alchemy
The Raven, Swan, Dove, Pelican, Peacock and Phoenix are among the symbolic birds of alchemy . Raven may be interchangeable with Crow,...
22 views
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 14
- 6 min
Isaac Newton: Alchemy & the Occult
Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician, has a deep interest in the occult. He writes of chronology, biblical interpretation...
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 14
- 5 min
Alchemy: How to Make Emerald from Quartz
Alchemy has origins in ancient medicine, metallurgy and gemology. As metallurgy evolves to coloring metals the goal is to make base...
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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...
19 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 11
- 6 min
Rosicrucians: Finding Christian Rosenkreuz
Christian Rosenkreuz is the legendary founder of the Rosicrucians (Order of the Rose Cross). Three writings attributed to him appear in...
23 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 10
- 6 min
Argyropoeia: Silver Making of Ancients
Argyropoeia is the process of making silver from another metal, such as copper. Although gold-making or chrysopoeia is better known,...
33 views
Sylvia Rose
- Aug 8
- 5 min
Alchemy & Seven Hermetic Principles
Seven hermetic principles, or foundational modes of thought, are written in the 1908 Kybalion, a book of occult and philosophic works....
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Sylvia Rose
- Aug 7
- 5 min
Ptolemy: Earth, Almagest & Ancient Astronomy
Claudius Ptolemy ( c. 100 - 170 AD) is a Greco-Egyptian mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer and music theorist in...
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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...
23 views
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