Zoroaster (Zarathustra), Clavis Artis, c. 1738.
Splendor Solis. A Two-Headed Winged Figure, A Winged Queen, A Man With a Sword, Sol Niger, A Man Bathing, The Sun. 1582.
Pseudo-Aquinas. Aurora Consurgens. 1400s.
The Aurora Consurgens is an illuminated manuscript of the 15th century. It contains a medieval alchemical treatise, in the past sometimes attributed to Thomas Aquinas, now to a writer called the "Pseudo-Aquinas". Aurora Consurgens is a commentary on the Latin translation of Silvery Waters by Senior Zadith (Ibn Umayl). Unusual for a work of this type, the manuscript contains thirty-seven fine miniatures in watercolour. The illustrations are allegorical representations of alchemical elements depicted in human or animal form. For example, mercury is depicted as a serpent; gold as the Sun and silver as the Moon. These illustrations incorporate some of the earliest Greek alchemical symbols known, found in Zosimos’ of Panopolis Authentic Memoirs.
Johann Michael Faust. Compendium Alchymist, Pandora Explicata & Figuris Illustrata. 1706.
J. D. Mylius, Philosophia Reformata (Rosarium philosophorum sive pretiosissimum donum Dei), Frankfurt, ca. 1622.
Oswald Kroll. Hermetischer Probier Stein. Herzog Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel. 1649.
Arnoldo di Villanova. Rosarium Philosophorium. 1550.
An entry into the vessel of transformation, A conjunction of the two primal archetypal forces, Their merging into an hermaphrodite in a death or nigredo stage, The extraction or ascent of one facet of the soul into the Spiritual realm (see related here), The descent of a spiritual dew or essence from above, The return of the extracted soul forces, The final formation of the Stone pictured as the resurrection of the hermaphrodite.
St. Thomas Aquinas or “Pseudo-Aquinas”. Aurora Consurgens. Black Female Angel. 1420s.
Parchment Codex with Watercolor Miniatures. Zürich, Zentralbibliothek. This is one of those manuscript miniatures that is so beautiful and strange, it’s hard to believe it’s really as old as it is. Aurora Consurgens is an alchemical treatise; a commentary on the Latin translation of Silvery Waters by Muhammed ibn Umail at-Tamîmî (Senior Zadith), attributed first to Saint Thomas Aquinas and later attributed to “Pseudo-Aquinas”. The miniatures are unusual not only for their quality, but also for the fact that they’re tiny watercolor paintings on the parchment codex. The whole text has been digitized here, and you can read like you were holding it. -Medievalpoc
magictransistor reblogged
Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis Emblem. Frontispiece of Toyson The Gold. 1613.
Salomon Trismosin. Splendor Solis. Sol Niger (Black Sun). 1535.
Goossen van Vreeswyk. De Goude Leeuw (The Gold Lion or The Vinegar Of The Sages). 1676.
Michael Maier. Atalanta Fugiens: Emblems 25,26,27. 1617.
Oswald Croll. Basilica Chymica. 1611.
J.J. Becher. Physica Subterranea. 1669.
Johann Daniel Mylius. Philosophica Reformata. 1617.
Robert Fludd. Utriusque Cosmi Maioris. Vol II. 1617.
Salomon Trismosin. Splendor Solis. The King and Queen (Sol e Luna). 1582.