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Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20243 min read
Colors of Alchemy: White Albedo Purification
In alchemy, albedo (whiteness) is the second in four major stages of the Magnum Opus, along with nigredo, citrinitas and rubedo. After...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 22, 20246 min read
Colors of Alchemy: Black Nigredo Putrefaction
In alchemy, nigredo (blackness) means putrefaction or decomposition. As the first step in the path to the philosopher's stone, nigredo...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 21, 20245 min read
Colors of Alchemy: Rubedo Magnum Opus
Four color stages are required to reach the Magnum Opus, the Great Work or the Philosopher's Stone of the alchemist. These are nigredo...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 21, 20245 min read
Chrysopoeia - Turning Lead into Gold
Chrysopoeia is Greek for "goldsmithing." It's the alchemical process or action of turning a base metal such as lead into the noble metal...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 19, 20245 min read
Golden Ages of Alchemy: Renaissance
Alchemy goes through cycles of prevalence for hundreds of years. In the Renaissance, a time of exploration and discovery, alchemy enjoys...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 19, 20245 min read
Zosimos: First Golden Age of Alchemy
Zosimos of Panopolis or Zosimus Alchemista (Zosimus the Alchemist) is a Greek alchemist and Gnostic mystic. Born near today's Akhmim in...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 17, 20244 min read
Aether: Born of Darkness, God of Light
Aether is the primordial god of light and the bright blue ether of the heavens. His fog and mists fill the space between the solid dome...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 17, 20245 min read
Prima Materia: Elements of Alchemy
The prima materia, materia prima or first matter of alchemy and philosophy is the omnipresent substance needed to create the...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 15, 20243 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 9, 20245 min read
Hermes Trismegistus: Alchemy & the Occult
Hermes Trismegistus is a blend of two major gods, Egyptian Thoth and Greek Hermes. With the rise of alchemy, both gods are patrons of the...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 8, 20244 min read
Magic of the Circle: Spirituality & Lore
The circle is a magical place. With no beginning or end the circle is infinity. Circles hold or contain magic and spiritual energies....
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Sylvia Rose
May 30, 20246 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 29, 20244 min read
Emerald Tablet - Sacred Alchemy Text
The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Table or the Tabula Smaragdina, is a compact and cryptic Hermetic text. The Tablet is of...
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Sylvia Rose
May 29, 20245 min read
Egyptian Alchemy - Power of Eternity
Alchemy in Egypt goes beyond transmutation of base metals into noble gold or silver. In the civilizations of Egypt, Arabia, India, China...
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Sylvia Rose
May 27, 20246 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
Mar 13, 20245 min read
Orpiment - Painter's Golden Poison
Orpiment is a golden orange or yellow arsenic sulfide mineral. Found in volcanic fumaroles, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 24, 20246 min read
Prussian Blue - Delight of Artists & Poisoners
Prussian blue is a vibrant hue first created in 1706 by Swiss German paint manufacturer Johann Diesbach (1670 - 1748) in Berlin. A vivid...
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Sylvia Rose
Feb 23, 20245 min read
Lead White & Minium Red: Colors to Die For
Since early antiquity, the iron ore cerussite has yielded brilliant white and red pigments used in art and even medicine. In ancient...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 7, 20235 min read
Spiritual Alchemy: Key Elements to Growth
Spiritual alchemy uses the principles of alchemy to achieve harmony and fulfillment in life. Alchemy incorporates shapes, symbols,...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 6, 20237 min read
Obsidian: Ancient Volcanic Black Glass
Obsidian is translucent volcanic glass, an igneous stone created from quickly cooled lava. It fractures with clean sharp edges. For...
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