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Sublimation & the Aludel: Medieval Alchemy
Sublimation is a process of refinement, purification or extraction of specific elements. The aludel, a unique alchemical apparatus, is...
Sylvia Rose
Dec 15, 20245 min read
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Alchemy & Religion
Alchemy through the ages is a science affected by personal spirituality and religion. Rooted in ancient practices, alchemy takes shape in...
Sylvia Rose
Dec 7, 202410 min read
6 views


Andreas Libavius: Science & Controversy of Alchemy
Andreas Libavius (c. 1550-1616) is one of the most influential figures of Renaissance alchemy, active in the Elizabethan era. His book...
Sylvia Rose
Dec 5, 20246 min read
10 views


Zaffre: Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass & Artists' Pigment
Zaffre (zaffer) is a vibrant deep blue pigment developed by alchemists, major pigment creators, by c. 1550 AD. Characterized by brilliant...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 27, 20246 min read
11 views


Flowers of Antimony: Pure Medieval Purgative
Flowers of antimony are a purified form of antimony trioxide (Sb2O3). Created through sublimation, they have chemical and medical...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 25, 20244 min read
23 views


Ammonium Carbonate: Sal Volatile Smelling Salts
Ammonium carbonate [NH4]2CO3 is the main ingredient in Victorian smelling salts. Also called baker's ammonia, sal volatile , salt of...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 25, 20245 min read
15 views


Glass of Antimony: Renaissance Purgatives
Glass of antimony , or vitrum antimonii , gives warm yellow or red hues. As Sb2O3, its use in alchemy is largely medicinal, one of many...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 24, 20244 min read
9 views


Mercury II Oxide: Red & White of Alchemy
In practical alchemy, mercury II oxide (HgO) is often called the "Red Precipitate," with its compound Mercuric Amidochloride (Hg(NH2)Cl),...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 18, 20247 min read
5 views


Pyrometallurgy: Ancient Processes of Modern Alchemy
Pyrometallurgy is the high-temperature processing of ores to extract and refine metals. It uses alchemical processes in a modern...
Sylvia Rose
Nov 13, 20246 min read
11 views


Mosaic Gold: Alchemy of a Forgotten Art
Mosaic gold is also known to alchemists as aurum musivum or aurum mosaicum due to its mottled formation. Forgotten in the data fields...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 31, 20243 min read
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Artisan Perfumery: Four Degrees of Fragrance
Perfumes are grouped according to their strengths. Every fragrance has a purpose, from a fresh splash of rose or mint to mysterious...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20243 min read
15 views


DIY Perfume Artisans: Top, Middle & Base Notes
DIY perfumes are all about crafting a unique signature scent or giving fragrance as a gift, the benefits of aromatherapy and expression...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20243 min read
8 views


Practical Alchemy of DIY Perfumes & Aromas
The alchemy of perfumes goes back thousands of years. Here are the practical aspects of perfumes in ancient and medieval times, how...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20244 min read
11 views


Science of Alchemy: Alchemical Innovations
Alchemy these days is often seen only as a mystical practice purveying the clic hé of turning base metals into gold. Alchemy is in fact...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 30, 20246 min read
5 views


Science of Alchemy: Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid is a powerful chemical. Used from old alchemical practices to modern times, this colorless, pungent-smelling liquid is...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 29, 20245 min read
26 views


12 Steps to the Magnum Opus: Ripley Scroll
Alchemy seeks the magnum opus or great work. This twelve step program comes from the anonymous Ripley Scroll, so called as alchemist...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 28, 20247 min read
13 views


Jan Baptist van Helmont: Renaissance Medicine
Jan Baptist van Helmont (1580 - 1644) is a Flemish physician, alchemist / chemist and natural philosopher. A disciple of Paracelsus , he...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 26, 20245 min read
13 views


Sodium Carbonate: Natural Formation to Modern Application
Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash or washing soda, is prominent across various industries for millennia. It's used in ancient and...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 25, 20245 min read
15 views


Reduction in Chemistry: Gaining Electrons
Reduction is a fundamental aspect of everyday life, from breathing oxygen to powering a phone. Reduction and its counterpart, oxidation ,...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 25, 20244 min read
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Alchemy: Circulation & the Pelican Phantasy
Circulation is one of many processes of alchemy. The purification of a substance is achieved through circular distillation in a pelican...
Sylvia Rose
Oct 21, 20243 min read
32 views
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