"In this episode, Yiskah and I discuss the role of women in alchemy, gnostic cosmology, the biblical Marys, Mary Anne Atwood's work "A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery", and more!"
An in-depth exploration of four centuries of American occult and spiritual history, from colonial-era alchemists to 20th-century teachers
• Details how, from the very beginning, America was a vibrant blend of beliefs from all four corners of the world
• Looks at well-known figures such as Manly P. Hall and offers riveting portraits of many lesser known esoteric luminaries such as the Pagan Pilgrim, Tom Morton
• Reveals the Rosicrucians among the first settlers from England, the spiritual influence of enslaved people, the work of mystical abolitionists, and how Native Americans and Latinx people helped shape contemporary spirituality
"This work of art was created in the year 1516. It was the work of Jean Perreal of Paris, a successful portraitist of French royalty in the first half of the 16th century who was also a sculptor and manuscript designer. He was very active in France, Italy and also in London."
Just in case you have to type unusual characters such as a v with a diaeresis, allow me to recommend Junicode, a "font family especially for medieval scholars, but containing an extensive enough selection of Unicode characters to be widely useful".
"A medieval town isn't complete without an apothecary or alchemist. They are masters of their art, have deep knowledge of the plants, fungi, insects of the nature that surrounds them. They extract their curative and magical properties to make potions and philters, to cure wounds, diseases and affections. They are also able to prepare brews for more nefarious purposes, though they are very secretive about this."
Page from the Czech edition of the Rosarium Philosophorum illustrated by Jaroš Griemiller, c. 1578
This illustrated alchemistic manuscript was written by Jaroš Griemiller z Trebska in 1578. It demonstrates the high level of alchemy that existed in Bohemia even before the transfer of the court of the emperor Rudolf II to Prague. It is a Czech translation of the medieval alchemic tract 'Rosarium philosophorum', made by Jaroš Griemiller, who was probably a relative of the country hallmark officer Pavel Griemiller z Trebska (+ 1593). He seemed to be inspired by his friend, the astronomer and alchemist Bavor ml. Rodovský z Hustiran (c. 1526-1592). His work was dedicated to a great benefactor of alchemic research, Vilém z Rožmberka (1535-1592). This Griemiller's autograph is rich in decoration and it has a representative golden leather binding. As such, it could be a volume made directly for the Rožmberk library.
The ornamentation of the book is interesting not only thanks to the original alchemic iconography, but also thanks to its high artistic value that was not common for all alchemic manuscripts. A greater part of the 23 illustrations were probably created by one of the Rožmberk court painters, while Griemiller himself made perhaps only a few of them. From the iconographic point of view, the most distinct works are two miniatures on ff. 183v-184r. On the left side, there is a naked man with wings, standing on the moon and blowing a trumpet: he is raising the sun and the moon - which he has beheaded earlier with an axe - from the dead. It is an alchemic symbol of killing and resuscitation of the substance of the Great Work. On the opposite side, a naked queen is standing on two knolls from which two streamlets are running, while on the right side the sun has risen in the sky and on the left side the moon. This is an alchemic symbol of the two fundamental roots. The queen is holding burning torches and from her head a tree is growing with both arriving and departing birds that symbolize the central axis of alchemic art.
"In many traditions the liver was considered to be the "seat of the soul", and it is linked to the eyes. This is also the case with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It would be safe to say we have all heard the saying "the eyes are the window to the soul". The question then is why the liver? How is it connected to the eyes?"
