Sylvia Rose
Michael Maier: Rosicrucians, Art & Alchemy
Michael Maier (1568–1622) is a German physician, alchemist, epigramist and composer. A prolific writer and shrewd thinker, he influences...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 263 min read
Alkanet: Ancient Dye Magic & Medicine
Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) is a plant related to borage, also a popular medicinal herb. Alkanet is used in folk magic, alchemy, natural...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 254 min read
Pope vs Alchemy 1317 AD: Falsification
Pope John Paul XII bans the practice of alchemy for the falsification of metals in 1317. In the Middle Ages, alchemy is a mysterious...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 254 min read
Democritus - Atomic Theory 400 BCE
Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, makes a groundbreaking conclusion: matter is fundamentally indivisible. He introduces the...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 145 min read
Salt: Exalted Mineral of Alchemy
Salt in alchemy is an independent mineral as well as one of the tria prima , or Three Primes, a medieval concept dominating Renaissance...
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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 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
Mar 157 min read
Verdigris: Coveted Blue Green Copper Pigment
Verdigris is the green rust or patina on copper, created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the environment. Copper corrodes green to...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 115 min read
Black Pigments of Ancient Artisans
Black is among the first pigments in the palette of early humans. By Paleolithic times, black defines lines, shadows and meaning. Black...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 35 min read
Limonite: Ancient Earth Pigments
Limonite is an iron earth mineraloid among the first colors of the Stone Age palette. Grinding limonite produces yellow ochre. Other...
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Sylvia Rose
Mar 14 min read
Woad, the People's Blue: Ancient Pigments
Woad ( Isatis tinctoria ) is a plant yielding a blue pigment used in dyes, paint and medicine. A member of the mustard family, it's also...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 26, 20233 min read
Phosphorus: Element of Fatal Fascination
Phosphorus is the first element not known since ancient times. This glowing substance is discovered by German alchemist Hennig Brand in...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 19, 20233 min read
Cleopatra the Alchemist of Alexandria
Cleopatra the Alchemist is an intriguing figure in the hazy history of science and magic. She works and writes in the 3rd or 4th...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 18, 202310 min read
Alchemy: Science, Philosophy, Magic
Alchemy rises from inquiring minds . Golden Ages of alchemy appear in Greco-Roman Alexandria , medieval Islam and the Renaissance ....
146 views
Sylvia Rose
Oct 18, 20233 min read
German House Spirits: Beer Donkey (Bieresel)
Bieresel loves beer and other fermented beverage s , such as apple cider, mead or wine. In German folklore the beer donkey lives in wine...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 13, 20236 min read
Seven Metals of Antiquity - Metallurgy
The Metals of Antiquity are the seven metals identified and used by humans in Europe and the Middle East in prehistoric times. They are...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 13, 20234 min read
Industry & the Age of Monsters Europe
The Age of Monsters in 19th century Europe is the result of a cataclysmic explosion of art, literature, science and philosophy. Nations...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 9, 20234 min read
19th Century: Home Gym, Bicycles, Antiseptic
The home gym, antiseptic, bicycles and Bunsen burners all emerge in the 19th century . European engineers, scientists, physicians and...
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Sylvia Rose
May 8, 20234 min read
The Anxious Victorian - Mental Health
The Victorian era brings progress to Europe, but also problems. Increased pace of life leads to stress conditions such as neurasthenia ,...
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