Sylvia Rose
Book of Comarius: Making Gold with Cleopatra
The Book of Comarius is a mysterious tome dedicated to Cleopatra the Divine, or Cleopatra the Alchemist of Alexandria. In it, Comarius, a...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 36 min read
Cleopatra the Divine & the Book of Comarius
Cleopatra the alchemist is active in Alexandria, Egypt c. 300 AD. She may be contemporary to Zosimos , who mentions her in his writings....
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 224 min read
Alchemy & Prague: Countess Barbara von Zweibrücken-Neuburg
Barbara von Zweibrücken-Neuburg (1559 - 1618) is described as a striking personality. Intelligent, charismatic and formidable of will,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 155 min read
Finding the Philosophers' Egg
Atomic theory first appears in the 5th century BCE. Later examination notes the atom is much like an egg. Atoms have an extremely small,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 137 min read
Divine Water: Sulfuric Acid in Alchemy
Divine Water, oil of vitriol or sulfuric acid, scientifically denoted H₂SO₄, is commonly used in alchemy experiments. A mineral acid, it...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 124 min read
Gold-Making of Maria: Tetrasomia Four Metals
Known as the first true alchemist, Mary or Maria the Jewess is active in Alexandria c. 100 AD. Her work survives through commentaries...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 52 min read
Bolus of Mendes: Healer Philosopher of Egypt
Bolos of Mendes (Bolus of Mendes) is a Neo-Pythagorean writer of the Nile Delta in the 3rd century BCE. He publishes several works under...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 54 min read
Bolus (Bole) of Mendes: Ancient Egyptian Medicine
Mendes is an important city of ancient Egypt, in the Nile Delta. The bolus of Mendes or Mendesian bole refers to a medical preparation...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 55 min read
Zosimos of Panopolis: Father of Alchemy
Zosimos of Panopolis (c. 300 AD) is a pivotal figure in the history of alchemy . Born in Panopolis, ancient Egypt, Zosimos lives in the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 13 min read
Expulsion of Intellectuals Alexandria 145 BCE
Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, is one of the intellectual capitals of the ancient world. It boasts the famous Library of...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 293 min read
Caput Mortuum: Dead Head Purple Pigment
Caput mortuum (Latin "dead head") is a purple hematite iron oxide pigment, used in oil paints and dyes. Due to cultural significance of...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 263 min read
Tricky Alchemy: Caput Mortuum Purple
Caput mortuum, Latin for as "dead head" is an ominous name for a valued color. As an iron oxide it's easy to make at home. As a purple...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 264 min read
Olympiodorus of Thebes & His Parrot
Olympiodorus of Thebes (c. 380 - 425 AD) is a multifaceted figure. A Roman historian from Egypt, poet, philosopher, and diplomat, he...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 75 min read
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 76 min read
Zodiac & Rise of Horoscopic Astrology
The zodiac, a celestial coordinate system divided into twelve signs, has a rich history dating back to the Roman era, where it's heavily...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 66 min read
Ancient Greek Astrology & Astronomy
In the ancient Greek view, creation of astrology is attributed to the legendary sage Hermes Trismegistus. In Hellenic Greek times (323...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 37 min read
Glass & Arts of Ancient Glass Making
Glass production prospers in Alexandria c. 1st century AD. Early glass makers produce colored beads and later utensils. With clear glass,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 214 min read
Olympiodorus Younger: the Last Neoplatonist
Olympiodorus the Younger, a prominent figure in late antiquity, is known as the last of the Neoplatonist pagans in Alexandria, Egypt. On...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 187 min read
Alchemy and the Art of Gold-Making
"Lead is the ancestor of all metals. For gold is not a metal, gold is light. Lead requires only four periods of two hundred years each,...
46 views
Sylvia Rose
Jul 174 min read
Hermeticism & Alchemy in Alexandria
Hermeticism and alchemy fall in love in ancient Alexandria , Egypt. Their relationship begins almost 2000 years ago and still prevails...
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