The Sulfur-Mercury theory, an ancient cornerstone of alchemical thought, exemplifies the duality inherent in alchemy. The relationship...

Ge Hong (葛洪; Gě Hóng , 283 - 364 AD), or Zhichuan (稚川) is a Chinese linguist, philosopher, physician, alchemist and writer during the...

Gnosticism emerges in the 1st century AD as a philosophical and religious movement seeking a unique perspective on spiritual...

Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician, has a deep interest in the occult. He writes of chronology, biblical interpretation...

Seven hermetic principles, or foundational modes of thought, are written in the 1908 Kybalion, a book of occult and philosophic works....

Albertus Magnus ( c.  1200 - 1280) is a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the greatest...

John Dee (1527 - 1609), an influential figure in Elizabethan England, is a scholar in the cryptic and occult lore of his time. Recognized...

Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, makes a groundbreaking conclusion: matter is fundamentally indivisible. He introduces the...

Pseudo-Democritus numbers among the Alexandrian alchemists and writers, with works appearing in the early centuries AD. Originally...

Nous is a concept from classical philosophy, equated to intellect or intelligence, and the area of the human mind necessary for...

Stephanus of Alexandria (c. 580 - 640 AD) is a Christian philosopher bringing Alexandrian thought to Byzantine society. Despite moving to...

Olympiodorus the Younger, a prominent figure in late antiquity, is known as the last of the Neoplatonist pagans in Alexandria, Egypt. On...

The Great Library of Alexandria on the balmy shores of the Mediterranean and the Nile delta is a center of intellectual activity by c....

Pseudo-Geber is a mysterious figure or collective identity linked to a corpus of alchemy texts from the late Middle Ages. The writings...

Alexandria is a sparkling jewel on the Mediterranean Sea. Here, in the early centuries AD, alchemy ascends to a Golden Age. Influences...

The anima mundi, world soul or soul of the world is an analogy used to explain the interconnectedness of all things. This idea suggests a...

Plato's Theory of Forms points to abstract, ideal forms or concepts more real than the world one perceives. Alchemy deconstructs the...

The hieros gamos, a sacred or spiritual marriage, involves the union of archetypal figures in ancient rebirth cycle mysteries and in...

Quintessence relates to the cosmic life force or pure essence of an element, and is common to all living things. It's also compared to...

The unity of opposites (Latin: unio oppositorum) relates to the concept of non-duality. Existence or identity of one thing depends on...