Paracelsus, And His Influence on Chemistry and Medicine: Now Available!

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This little booklet is a description of a bit of the life and workings of Paracelsus, especially regarding his herbal physiognomy theory, his displacement of Galens' elemental beliefs, and a bit of criticism about his lifestyle choices (having been reported to be a drunk, and known to be egotistical and a bit power-mad.) Paracelsus was arguably the father of pre-modern chemistry, forming a missing link to the past, as he maintained an interest in astrology and alchemy, subjugating the latter to medicine as opposed to fixating on the idea of transmutation.

31 pages.

Alchemy Collection: Now Available!

 

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This full length work is the alchemical companion to my prior compilation of demonological lore. It contains fourteen separate full length works ranging from philosophical tracts to chemical experiments, with a full preface, short bibliography and list of terms, and an appendix with a few snippets from other alchemy texts I have edited.

It is meant largely for those interested in the historical impact and development of this field, which is at once early science and superstition, at once literal chemistry and heavily religious veiled metaphor. Alchemy, as the reader will see, is hardly the monolithic and dated entity it is sometimes regarded as.

366 pages.

The New Chemical Light: Now Available!

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This fairly beefy alchemical tract (technically two tracts in multiple sections) comes from the Alchemical Museum of Waites' time, originally penned by Sendivogius in the 1600s. It is strictly physical alchemy at work here, and strictly the more "authentic" path of the same, not like some works which are basically about just creating interesting medicines (few of which were safe!) or counterfeit currencies. Part of this work is in the form of dialogue between the alchemist and his mercury. In that sense it is vaguely like the much later work "On the Philadelphian Gold."

Here then the major concept of alchemy, that great work, is that of the four elements, three substances, two halves (male and female) thus joined creating the perfected substance that was believed to operate much like stem cells for the mineral world, literally, a sort of primordial material that could be purified out from other things and used to project matter. Importantly, Sendivogius references what some other contemporaries do, namely that this substance, while found in gross (literally vulgar, as in composted feces, etc) matter, to try and work with that same matter improperly will benefit the sage not at all.

99 pages.

The Alchemical Catechism: Now Available!

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This short, sweet work is actually one of the better alchemical works I have edited, at least insofar as being easily understood in its explanations of topics within alchemy such as the inferred differentiation between the heating action of digestion (manure decomposing!), the anaerobic burn (a kiln) and open flame. It is in the form of questions and answers, and was first worked into this form by AE Waite, that madman of manuscripts himself.

Its interesting content regarding the generation of materia by the action of vapors within the Earth is a primitive forerunner to the modern understanding of volcanism and tectonics.

32 pages.

Aula Lucis: Now Available!

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This short tract was created in the middle of the 17th century- as a work of mostly physical alchemy, it's better than most, at least in terms of being understood; all alchemical works contain veils, metaphors, allusions, but Thomas Vaughan's work is less so than many. It alludes to the philosophic fire spoken of by Pontanus (literally, a heap of composting manure to supply indirect warmth without flame) as well as other topics.

25 pages.

An Explanation of the Natural Philosophers' Tincture: Now Available!

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This manuscript concerns the chemical components of alchemy more than the actual crafting of any sorcerers' stone or elixir itself; indeed, it is the general recipe for the precursor materials needed to work the great work itself. The formula is fairly explicit but most of the secondary content used to "prove" the point is religious in nature and heavily metaphorical. Overall, a fine alchemical work of note, from one of the less well known figures within the period. It is slightly similar to some of Hollandus' work.

37 pages.

The Only True Way: Now Available!

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This very short tract is an excellent primer to alchemy; it's actually more an explanation of the veils and hidden meanings of the terms used by other works than it is a process in its own right- the author is anonymous, but Waite dug it up and managed to translate it. Altogether, when paired with other longer, more literal works, it's of far greater value than its general obscurity suggests.

24 pages.

The Tomb of Semiramis: Now Available!

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Talk about an early Yule gift; Createspace saw fit to finally accept and process this submission two months later; I have to assume whoever had it on hold quit their job or there was a glitch in the system.

This short work is alchemical in nature; it appears to adapt and retell "A Work of Saturn" by Hollandus and describes the crafting and augmenting of the philosophers' stone to create elixir- a sort of metallic substance that melts like wax at low heat (or in contact with silver) and can be dissolved in wine or injected into wounds- that this substance is a sort of mercurial compound renders it perhaps less favorable in modern medicine, although I suppose it could destroy infections.

26 pages.

Turba Philosophorum: Now Available!

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The Turba Philosophorum is one of the foremost philosophical and alchemical texts of all time; probably comparable in popularity to the Rosarium Philosophorum.

It is delivered in the form of a dialogue between various great antiquated minds in science and philosophy, despite the fact that it was created no earlier than perhaps the late 800sAD and probably in the early 900s. It expounds and elaborates upon alchemical principles and truths that would become commonplace centuries later in virtually all Renaissance era works of this type.

I utilized Waite's (now public domain) translation of this work, and modernized it completely, significantly improving the formerly cramped format of the same.

110 pages.

The Secret Work of the Hermetic Philosophy: Now Available!

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While this specific work claims the title of Hermetic Philosophy, it is more a standard alchemical text than a philosophical tract.

It attempts to reduce the convolution and deliberate obfuscation of alchemical truth by prior authors to a lesser degree such that the student is more readily able to understand the process of creating the stone of the philosophers- an attempt which is partially successful. It then divides the total work into the Zodiac, referencing stages of time required to produce the final result by astrological means.

52 pages.

Paracelsus - The Aurora of the Philosophers: Now Available!

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Originally rendered into English by the 1600s, the Aurora of the Philosophers (or Monarchia) of Paracelsus is one of the foremost of all alchemical works ever created.

This particular work is of note for two reasons. First and foremost, it covers the ancient history of magick according to Paracelsus, as derived from Persia, Egypt, the Chaldaeans, and Hebrews. Second, it supplies hands-on experimentation where the vast majority of works supply only theory. For obvious reasons I in no way condone or encourage the working of any experiment in this work.

It additionally refutes some of the then-common myths regarding the work of alchemy in rather good detail.

47 pages.

Golden Chain of Homer: Now Available!

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When works of alchemy are made, mostly they fixate on obscure philosophy- the only exceptions I have encountered are this work and some of Paracelsus' materials. The Golden Chain of Homer, however, is explicit and describes actual alchemical experiments and their recipes.

For those interested in alchemy this work is highly recommended; it may be seen as a somewhat dense but spectacular overview of the philosophy and the working of alchemy itself. Disclaimer: I in no way endorse the practice of these experiments.

64 pages.

Coming Soon: The Golden Chain of Homer

When we discuss alchemical texts we are most often reviewing elaborate systems of symbolism involving celestial and other phenomena. With the Golden Chain of Homer, this is assuredly not the case. Of middling length, (64 pages,) the work ruminates far more on the actual chemical processes behind alchemy; humidification and distillation especially. "Released" (and almost surely written) by Anton Kirchweger in the early 1700s, it was first worked into English not long after by Bacstrom, although the text was not strictly full length in this work. To keep with proper tradition, it is this "shortened" manuscript which I have edited.

Unlike most works, which provide theory without practice or philosophy without physicality, the Golden Chain includes several literal experiments (which I do not condone the working of, for legal reasons!) including a rather strange experiment in which sterilized sediment is used to grow "plants" (almost surely mold)- a telltale sign that the work predates microscopy to a great extent.

I definitely recommend this specific edition for those interested in alchemy, along with a shorter manuscript on the Aurum Potabile which I have just finished editing but must format and work through the cover design for.

Book of the Chemical Art: Now Available!

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Now we come to an important (and well made) philosophical treatise regarding alchemy, one all the more easily appreciated because it gives us a snapshot of the Renaissance, courtesy of Ficinus, and the opinions given at that era concerning alchemy as it related to what was, even then, considered folkish superstition. Specifically refuting some of the more physical aspects of court alchemy (insofar as it was used to crudely make artificial "gold" from other materials) as well as some folk magick, the work applauds and supports philosophical alchemy.

It ends with a short tract created when one Illardus supposedly held council with Satan through the use of necromancy- this final passage was almost surely tacked on at some Renaissance-era date to the rest of the (more philosophical, anti-superstitious) text.