The Hermetic Research Series

In general this series includes essays and new research on hermetic subjects with transcriptions and translations of hermetic texts. This series was originally issued in paperback format in order to produce lower priced books to complement the hardcover Magnum Opus series.
This was not a successful strategy as sales were very low so I have now issued eleven of the recent books on a CD-Rom. Future titles will be issued in hardbound copies only and eventually placed onto a supplementary CD-Rom.

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No. 14. Albertus Magnus - The Compound of Compounds
Translated by Luc Villeneuve
With an Introduction by Adam McLean

The Dominican Scholar Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) seems to have had a considerable interest in alchemy and there are numerous alchemical writings attributed to him. The better known of these are his Book of Minerals, the Semita Recta (the direct way), the Alkimia minor and the short work, the Compositum de compositis, translated here by Luc Villeneuve from a French version of the text.
This book, written in the thirteenth or early fourteenth century and thus one of the earliest works of European alchemy, is remarkably clear and straightforward. It outlines the alchemical process, placing it within a theoretical framework, then demonstrating how to carry out the work in practice, avoiding allegory and obfuscation.
Whether this was written by Albertus Magnus or some other now unknown writer, the book presents such an exciting and clear account of the nature of alchemy, that one can see people, centuries later, poring over its pages trying to tease out and work the process shown here in all its practical details. Even after 800 years it still speaks freshly and eloquently of the mystery of alchemy. It deserves recognition as one of the key foundation works of European alchemy. It is sad that it has taken so long to make it available in English.


pages. A5 format.

The Hermetic Research Series of books is now available in a hardbound copy uniform with the books in the Magnum Opus and Hermetic Studies series. I can make up a copy in this format to order. There will be a delay of up to two weeks while I find time to bind up a copy for you.

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