https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/ Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:11:39 +0000 MyBB https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3742 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:41:20 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3742
William of Conches (https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fm...of+Conches) is highly relevant to historians of alchemy, but not because he practiced transmutation or wrote laboratory recipes. Instead, he is a crucial figure in the history of matter theory and the transmission of scientific text that paved the way for late-medieval Western alchemy. [1] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/), [2] (https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Alchemy/1520933)

Historians of science and alchemy study his work for three main reasons:
1. A Unique "Atomistic" Four-Element Theory
While mainstream medieval alchemy heavily relied on the strict Aristotelian view of elements (where earth, air, fire, and water are continuous and constantly shifting), William proposed a unique atomistic cosmology. [1] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches), [2] (https://www.oundleschool.org.uk/the-ound...chemistry/)
• Following the medical translations of Constantine the African, William defined an element as the "simplest and minimum part of any body" (particulae).
• He argued that the "pure elements" are invisible, indivisible units governed by intrinsic properties (hot, cold, wet, dry).
• For an alchemist, understanding how matter can be broken down to its fundamental, unobservable "minima" and reconstituted is a core theoretical requirement for transmutation. William's Philosophia mundi provided a respected, non-heretical framework for thinking about particulate matter. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Conches), [2] (https://www.alchemywebsite.com/rbacon.html), [3] (https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Alchemy/1520933), [4] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches)

2. Early Integration of Arabic Science
European alchemy took off in the mid-to-late 12th century when Arabic texts were translated into Latin. William was one of the very first Christian scholars to eagerly adopt Arab and Islamic medical and physical lore. By incorporating these texts into his commentaries on Plato's Timaeus, he helped bridge the gap between classical Greek cosmology and the advanced physical sciences coming from the Islamic world. [1] (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15632b.htm), [2] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/), [3] (https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/wi...of-conches), [4] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches)

3. The Naturalization of "Miracles"
William famously argued that scholars shouldn't just say "God willed it" when observing a strange physical phenomenon; instead, they must look for the natural mechanisms God put in place. This strong defense of natural philosophy over supernatural intervention gave a strong intellectual justification to early experimentalists—including alchemists—who wanted to manipulate nature in a laboratory setting. [1] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/)

Summary of Differences:
To put his work in context, a direct comparison shows where William fits compared to later, traditional medieval alchemists:
Attribute: William of Conches (Early 12th c.) versus Later Scholastic Alchemists (13th–14th c.)
Focus: Macrocosmic natural philosophy and matter theory versus Laboratory experimentation and metal transmutation.
Core Concept: Particulate atoms forming the four elements versus the Sulfur-Mercury theory of metals.
Goal: Explaining the cosmos through reason and natural laws versus Achieving the Philosopher's Stone or medical elixirs.

See:
https://tinyurl.com/37n6yujn]]>
William of Conches (https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=%2Fm...of+Conches) is highly relevant to historians of alchemy, but not because he practiced transmutation or wrote laboratory recipes. Instead, he is a crucial figure in the history of matter theory and the transmission of scientific text that paved the way for late-medieval Western alchemy. [1] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/), [2] (https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Alchemy/1520933)

Historians of science and alchemy study his work for three main reasons:
1. A Unique "Atomistic" Four-Element Theory
While mainstream medieval alchemy heavily relied on the strict Aristotelian view of elements (where earth, air, fire, and water are continuous and constantly shifting), William proposed a unique atomistic cosmology. [1] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches), [2] (https://www.oundleschool.org.uk/the-ound...chemistry/)
• Following the medical translations of Constantine the African, William defined an element as the "simplest and minimum part of any body" (particulae).
• He argued that the "pure elements" are invisible, indivisible units governed by intrinsic properties (hot, cold, wet, dry).
• For an alchemist, understanding how matter can be broken down to its fundamental, unobservable "minima" and reconstituted is a core theoretical requirement for transmutation. William's Philosophia mundi provided a respected, non-heretical framework for thinking about particulate matter. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Conches), [2] (https://www.alchemywebsite.com/rbacon.html), [3] (https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Alchemy/1520933), [4] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches)

2. Early Integration of Arabic Science
European alchemy took off in the mid-to-late 12th century when Arabic texts were translated into Latin. William was one of the very first Christian scholars to eagerly adopt Arab and Islamic medical and physical lore. By incorporating these texts into his commentaries on Plato's Timaeus, he helped bridge the gap between classical Greek cosmology and the advanced physical sciences coming from the Islamic world. [1] (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15632b.htm), [2] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/), [3] (https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/wi...of-conches), [4] (https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-of-Conches)

3. The Naturalization of "Miracles"
William famously argued that scholars shouldn't just say "God willed it" when observing a strange physical phenomenon; instead, they must look for the natural mechanisms God put in place. This strong defense of natural philosophy over supernatural intervention gave a strong intellectual justification to early experimentalists—including alchemists—who wanted to manipulate nature in a laboratory setting. [1] (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/...s/alchemy/)

Summary of Differences:
To put his work in context, a direct comparison shows where William fits compared to later, traditional medieval alchemists:
Attribute: William of Conches (Early 12th c.) versus Later Scholastic Alchemists (13th–14th c.)
Focus: Macrocosmic natural philosophy and matter theory versus Laboratory experimentation and metal transmutation.
Core Concept: Particulate atoms forming the four elements versus the Sulfur-Mercury theory of metals.
Goal: Explaining the cosmos through reason and natural laws versus Achieving the Philosopher's Stone or medical elixirs.

See:
https://tinyurl.com/37n6yujn]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3741 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:26:50 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3741 Azoth Press 2025
Delux Edition:
#8 of 52 hand-numbered copies
* leather bound in leather box

"John Dee needs no introduction to the modern occultist. The court astrologer and wizard of Queen Elizabeth I, the owner of the best library in Elizabethan England, the author of historic works on mathematics and navigation, and one of many secret agents employed by Elizabeth’s government in its struggle for survival against foreign and domestic enemies, he was also the co-creator of the Enochian system of magic, one of the most widely practiced methods of ceremonial work in modern occultism, and the author of the enigmatic Monas Hieroglyphica, one of the most cryptic works in the history of alchemy. It may startle readers, then, to learn that his first significant book on occult topics remains nearly unknown in today’s occult community. Nonetheless this is the case. The Propaedeumata Aphoristica (“Aphoristic Introduction”), first published in 1558 and brought out in a new revised edition in 1568, is that work. Dee wrote it as a convenient guide to the fundamental principles of astrology and astrological magic. It begins and ends with Dee’s magical and alchemical emblem, the Hieroglyphic Monad. In a series of 120 aphorisms, ranging in length from a sentence to more than a page, he sets out the worldview of the Renaissance astrologer and magus with a conciseness that has rarely been equaled."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/occultbo...0VXe9HhmK6]]> Azoth Press 2025
Delux Edition:
#8 of 52 hand-numbered copies
* leather bound in leather box

"John Dee needs no introduction to the modern occultist. The court astrologer and wizard of Queen Elizabeth I, the owner of the best library in Elizabethan England, the author of historic works on mathematics and navigation, and one of many secret agents employed by Elizabeth’s government in its struggle for survival against foreign and domestic enemies, he was also the co-creator of the Enochian system of magic, one of the most widely practiced methods of ceremonial work in modern occultism, and the author of the enigmatic Monas Hieroglyphica, one of the most cryptic works in the history of alchemy. It may startle readers, then, to learn that his first significant book on occult topics remains nearly unknown in today’s occult community. Nonetheless this is the case. The Propaedeumata Aphoristica (“Aphoristic Introduction”), first published in 1558 and brought out in a new revised edition in 1568, is that work. Dee wrote it as a convenient guide to the fundamental principles of astrology and astrological magic. It begins and ends with Dee’s magical and alchemical emblem, the Hieroglyphic Monad. In a series of 120 aphorisms, ranging in length from a sentence to more than a page, he sets out the worldview of the Renaissance astrologer and magus with a conciseness that has rarely been equaled."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/occultbo...0VXe9HhmK6]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3740 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:23:25 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3740
https://tinyurl.com/ymkczb79]]>
https://tinyurl.com/ymkczb79]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3739 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:18:25 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3739 De Luxe Edition: #2 of 30 hand-numbered copies
*Matching Box
*1. Photo
*2. Facsimiles
"This special edition includes reproductions of several pages from books that formed part of Dee's original library with his personal annotations, and reproduced on a fine quality of archival paper as large-scale Giclée prints. Also, there are additional materials from both the British Library and the Wellcome Collections."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/occultbo...JDJaFxPzyO]]> De Luxe Edition: #2 of 30 hand-numbered copies
*Matching Box
*1. Photo
*2. Facsimiles
"This special edition includes reproductions of several pages from books that formed part of Dee's original library with his personal annotations, and reproduced on a fine quality of archival paper as large-scale Giclée prints. Also, there are additional materials from both the British Library and the Wellcome Collections."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/occultbo...JDJaFxPzyO]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3708 Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:20:46 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3708
* Core Subject: The book explores a rare, heat-cycled method of water distillation from Antiquity and how it shapes water geometry and structure.
* Themes: It combines alchemical traditions, water science, philosophy, and practical applications for hydration and wellness.
* Availability: You can find copies or editions through platforms like [Bookshop.org](https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-lega...f2bbe9e1ff) and [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Books-Chris-Emmon...s%2BEmmons).]]>
* Core Subject: The book explores a rare, heat-cycled method of water distillation from Antiquity and how it shapes water geometry and structure.
* Themes: It combines alchemical traditions, water science, philosophy, and practical applications for hydration and wellness.
* Availability: You can find copies or editions through platforms like [Bookshop.org](https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-lega...f2bbe9e1ff) and [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Books-Chris-Emmon...s%2BEmmons).]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3695 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:41:02 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3695 "Ægypt is a fantasy tetralogy written by American author John Crowley. The series describes the life and work of Pierce Moffett, a history professor who prepares a manuscript for publication even as it prepares him for some as-yet unknown destiny, all set amidst strange and subtle Hermetic manipulations among the Faraway Hills at the border of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania...The four volumes deal with Moffett's real and dream life in the United States in 1977 (and, in an extended coda, into the early 1980s) with the narrative of the manuscript he is preparing for publication. Another manuscript, left unfinished by its author Fellowes Kraft and discovered by Moffett, is an historical fiction that follows the briefly intersecting adventures of Italian heretic Giordano Bruno and of British occultists John Dee and Edward Kelley."

https://www.amazon.com/Aegypt-John-Crowl...0553345923]]> "Ægypt is a fantasy tetralogy written by American author John Crowley. The series describes the life and work of Pierce Moffett, a history professor who prepares a manuscript for publication even as it prepares him for some as-yet unknown destiny, all set amidst strange and subtle Hermetic manipulations among the Faraway Hills at the border of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania...The four volumes deal with Moffett's real and dream life in the United States in 1977 (and, in an extended coda, into the early 1980s) with the narrative of the manuscript he is preparing for publication. Another manuscript, left unfinished by its author Fellowes Kraft and discovered by Moffett, is an historical fiction that follows the briefly intersecting adventures of Italian heretic Giordano Bruno and of British occultists John Dee and Edward Kelley."

https://www.amazon.com/Aegypt-John-Crowl...0553345923]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3691 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:08:39 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3691 Faith, Medical Alchemy and Natural Philosophy: Johann Moriaen, Reformed Intelligencer, and the Hartlib Circle (Aldershot: 1998).
Published online: January 2007

Available on-line (haphazardly) here:

https://www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/searc...=2&sort=id]]> Faith, Medical Alchemy and Natural Philosophy: Johann Moriaen, Reformed Intelligencer, and the Hartlib Circle (Aldershot: 1998).
Published online: January 2007

Available on-line (haphazardly) here:

https://www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/searc...=2&sort=id]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3689 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:38:59 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3689 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritualizatio...B0BLYHPHB3), alchemy represents a historical and philosophical undercurrent where rational scientific ambition degrades into mysticism and the occult during humanity's quest for autonomy and self-divinization. [1]
## Key Connections to Alchemy in the Book

* The Quest for Human Divinity: The book traces modern transhumanist and technological perfectionism back to ancient roots like Hermeticism, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism, which viewed human divinization as the ultimate goal.
* From Reason to the Occult: Erdmann argues that when science breaks away from biblical boundaries to pursue boundless utopian control over nature, rational inquiry ironically twists into subjective irrationalism—manifesting historically through alchemy and the occult.
* Historical Figures: The text examines how famous thinkers (such as Isaac Newton) mixed rigorous scientific/mathematical work with esoteric pursuits like alchemy and subversions of traditional theology.
* The Critique of Posthumanity: Alchemy and occultism serve as historical precursors to today’s techno-scientific ambitions, where altering human nature through nanotechnology or genetic engineering mirrors the alchemical desire to transcend mortal limitations. [1, 2]

[1] [https://www.amazon.co.uk](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritualizatio...B0BLYHPHB3)
[2] [https://www.amazon.de](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Dr-Martin-Erd...B0BLY36F8D)]]> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritualizatio...B0BLYHPHB3), alchemy represents a historical and philosophical undercurrent where rational scientific ambition degrades into mysticism and the occult during humanity's quest for autonomy and self-divinization. [1]
## Key Connections to Alchemy in the Book

* The Quest for Human Divinity: The book traces modern transhumanist and technological perfectionism back to ancient roots like Hermeticism, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism, which viewed human divinization as the ultimate goal.
* From Reason to the Occult: Erdmann argues that when science breaks away from biblical boundaries to pursue boundless utopian control over nature, rational inquiry ironically twists into subjective irrationalism—manifesting historically through alchemy and the occult.
* Historical Figures: The text examines how famous thinkers (such as Isaac Newton) mixed rigorous scientific/mathematical work with esoteric pursuits like alchemy and subversions of traditional theology.
* The Critique of Posthumanity: Alchemy and occultism serve as historical precursors to today’s techno-scientific ambitions, where altering human nature through nanotechnology or genetic engineering mirrors the alchemical desire to transcend mortal limitations. [1, 2]

[1] [https://www.amazon.co.uk](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spiritualizatio...B0BLYHPHB3)
[2] [https://www.amazon.de](https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Dr-Martin-Erd...B0BLY36F8D)]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3684 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:32:00 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3684
https://www.academia.edu/35119134/DE_LA_ALQUIMIA]]>
https://www.academia.edu/35119134/DE_LA_ALQUIMIA]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3683 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:18:51 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3683

Edited by Didier Kahn & Hiro Hirai


Legal status unknown.

Downloadable from:

https://tinyurl.com/53rtbsn4]]>

Edited by Didier Kahn & Hiro Hirai


Legal status unknown.

Downloadable from:

https://tinyurl.com/53rtbsn4]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3681 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:46:55 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3681
A Corpus of Middle English Alchemical Poetry (Critical Editions and Studies)

Anke Timmermann

https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/...54831/html]]>
A Corpus of Middle English Alchemical Poetry (Critical Editions and Studies)

Anke Timmermann

https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/...54831/html]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3676 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:03:43 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3676
• Explores the alchemical mechanics of the Philosopher’s Stone

• Illustrates the sacred geometry behind the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone

• Explains how the Philosopher’s Stone relates to the Third Eye and how to balance its energies to attain enlightenment

Inspired by alchemists of the past, R. E. Kretz explores the mechanics of the Philosopher’s Stone, the Pythagorean transmigration of the soul, and the alchemical path for attaining enlightenment.

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books...1644117828]]>
• Explores the alchemical mechanics of the Philosopher’s Stone

• Illustrates the sacred geometry behind the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone

• Explains how the Philosopher’s Stone relates to the Third Eye and how to balance its energies to attain enlightenment

Inspired by alchemists of the past, R. E. Kretz explores the mechanics of the Philosopher’s Stone, the Pythagorean transmigration of the soul, and the alchemical path for attaining enlightenment.

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books...1644117828]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3675 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:57:03 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3675
https://www.cocorrina.com/products/alche...-of-metals]]>
https://www.cocorrina.com/products/alche...-of-metals]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3672 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:41:26 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3672
Contents:

    Lesson One : History & Foundations
    Lesson Two : Nature, Plants & Spagyrics
    Lesson Three : The Planets, Part One
    Lesson Four : Alchemical Model of Health
    Lesson Five : The Health Constitution
    Lesson Six : The Planets, Part Two
    Lesson Seven : Formulating Spagyric Elixirs"


https://www.al-kemi.com/product/alchemic...ng-bundle/]]>
Contents:

    Lesson One : History & Foundations
    Lesson Two : Nature, Plants & Spagyrics
    Lesson Three : The Planets, Part One
    Lesson Four : Alchemical Model of Health
    Lesson Five : The Health Constitution
    Lesson Six : The Planets, Part Two
    Lesson Seven : Formulating Spagyric Elixirs"


https://www.al-kemi.com/product/alchemic...ng-bundle/]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3664 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:51:56 +0100 Paul Ferguson]]> https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=3664 (London: Macmillan, 2001), pp.545; hdbk. ISBN 0-333-76367-X ; (London: Pan Books, 2002) pp.545; pbk. ISBN 0-330-48910-0

‘Certainly the best and most absorbing account of alchemy that I have ever read.’
Colin Wilson, Literary Review

‘An intriguing read by an accomplished storyteller … inspirational’
John Emsley, Sunday Times


https://petermarshall.net/books/the-philosophers-stone/]]> (London: Macmillan, 2001), pp.545; hdbk. ISBN 0-333-76367-X ; (London: Pan Books, 2002) pp.545; pbk. ISBN 0-330-48910-0

‘Certainly the best and most absorbing account of alchemy that I have ever read.’
Colin Wilson, Literary Review

‘An intriguing read by an accomplished storyteller … inspirational’
John Emsley, Sunday Times


https://petermarshall.net/books/the-philosophers-stone/]]>