Sylvia Rose
Alexandria: Jewel of Ancient History
Alexandria is on the Mediterranean coast at the Egyptian settlement Rhacotis, later the Egyptian quarter of the city. Due to its vast...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 294 min read
Theriac: Miracle Snake Venom Potion
Making a proper theriac takes months. The recipe calls for plants collected in season, and the distillation or fermentation of herbs,...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 275 min read
Four Humors & Medical Stagnation
The theory of the four humors dominates medicine for two thousand years. Since the time of the ancient Greeks to the 19th century, humor...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 273 min read
Panacea: Goddess of Universal Health
In Greek mythology, Panacea is a healing goddess with a large family. Her father is Asclepius, god of medicine and son of visionary god...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 273 min read
Yliaster: Quest for the Magnum Opus
Yliaster or Iliaster is a concept attributed to Renaissance alchemist and physician Paracelsus. This term arises from alchemy, where it...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 275 min read
Robert Fludd & Renaissance Medicine
Robert Fludd (1574 - 1637) is an influential figure of the European Renaissance. He's known as a cosmologist, astrologer, mathematician...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 244 min read
Islamic Alchemy: Abu Bakr al-Razi
Abū Bakr al-Rāzī c. 864 - 930 AD is a Persian alchemist, philosopher and physician during the Islamic Golden Age . One of the most...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 236 min read
Hair Loss: 9 Natural Cures of Physician Dioscorides
Hair loss and baldness ( alopecia ) is a fear in ancient times, if hair is a sign of status, youth or virility. First century AD Greek...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 203 min read
Alkahest: Alchemy Panacea & Solvent
Alkahest is a divine panacea or healing substance and solvent. During the Renaissance, alchemists are intrigued by the healing concepts...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 193 min read
Jabir ibn Hayyan: Alchemy of Islam
Jabir ibn Hayyan is a medieval Islamic figure. Alchemy, magic, philosophy and religion come together in a vast corpus of writings. As his...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 175 min read
Alchemy & New Thought in Ancient Alexandria
Alexandria is a sparkling jewel on the Mediterranean Sea. Here, in the early centuries AD, alchemy ascends to a Golden Age. Influences...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 25 min read
Rasayana: Alchemy & Health of India
Rasāyana focuses on rejuvenation, longevity, and vitality, aiming to promote well-being and balance. In Vedic alchemy, the term rasa has...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 26 min read
Chinese Alchemy: Mind Body Spirit
Chinese alchemy is already in practice in the early centuries BCE. Ancient texts like the Cantong qi explain the body is central to...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 308 min read
Alchemy: Processes Used by Alchemists
Alchemy processes such as calcination, fermentation and distillation appear frequently in history and modern life. Neolithic humans use...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 293 min read
Psychoid: Secrets of the Unconscious
The psychoid is a metaphysical and enigmatic concept of the archetype, existing in a dimension beyond the reach of consciousness. This...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 293 min read
Spagyria: Botanical Science of Alchemy
Spagyria is the alchemy of plants. In the quest for the Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life, alchemists work with the nature of...
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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 205 min read
Parabalani: Medics & Murderous Mobs
The parabalani (parabolini) range throughout Alexandria from the plague times of the 3rd century AD to the 6th century of Justinian....
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 155 min read
Aesculapian Snakes: Nature & Lore
The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is a species of nonvenomous snake native to Europe. Among the largest European snakes, the...
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Sylvia Rose
Jun 35 min read
Wolfsbane (Aconitum) Ancient Poisons
Wolfsbane, monk's hood (Aconitum) delivers a lethal dose of poison. In the ancient world, poison plays a vital part, from death by elixir...
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