Category: Alchemy Glossary

Acid and Alkali The concept of this basic chemical antithesis emerges clearly in the seventeenth century with the work of van Helmont and Robert Boyle.…

Category: Alchemy • Instruments & Processes • Hermetic Symbolism The aludel is a pear-shaped alchemical vessel used in the process of sublimation, one of the…

Mutus Liber (Wordless Book) Anonymous alchemical text for creating the Philosopher’s Stone. The Mutus Liber was first printed in France in 1677 and was reissued…

Prima Materia is in Alchemy, the “First Matter,” the substance from which the Philosopher’s Stone is created, or even the stone itself. The Prima Materia…

The Quintessence (quinta essentia) is the fifth Element. Quintessence is a psychic spiritual energy that is superior to the other four elements of earth, air,…

Philosopher’s Stone is in Alchemy, the mysterious substances that enables the transmutation of base metals into GOLD or SILVER. The Philosopher’s Stone is said to…

Ouroboros (uroboros) Ancient symbol of a Serpent biting its tail, forming a circle. The name ouroboros comes from the Greek terms oura, meaning “tail,” and…

Category: Alchemy • Hermetic Philosophy • Paracelsian Doctrine The Tria Prima, or Three Primes, are the three fundamental substances of alchemy as defined by the…

A bath is in alchemy, a simmering heat that is part of the process of creating the Philosopher’s Stone. The bath is also called the…

salamander A lizardlike amphibian that likes to live in moist places. In mythology the salamander is a poisonous  creature that is able to live in fire.…