Alchemy The science by aid of which the chemical philosophers of medieval times attempted to transmute the baser metals into gold or silver. There is considerable divergence of opinion as to the etymology of the word, but it would seem to be derived from the Arabic al=the, and kimya=chemistry, which in turn derives from the late Greek chemica=chemistry, from chumeia=a mingling, or cheein, 'to pour out' or 'mix', Aryan root ghu, to pour, whence the word 'gush'. Mr. A. Wallis Budge in his "Egyptian
Prospero’s Problem With Perfection: Why Magic Isn’t Enough Giovanni Pico’s Oration on the Dignity of Man promotes the perfectibility of mankind. In the oration, Pico presents a specific, sequential program for man’s spiritual ascendancy to godly flawlessness. And yet Pico’s program is dealt a literary blow in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest when the protagonist, learned mage Prospero, is unable to complete Pico’s curriculum and quits his magic entirely. The divergent view of man expressed
The Wickedest Man on Earth, or as addressed to by his own mother, the Great Beast, is known for many things. He was a controversial author and a founder of mystic and magic occult philosophies, as well as his pleasure-seeking and sexual adventurism (Champion). Alister Crowley created quite a following upon the birth of his beliefs and philosophies included in “The Book of the Law”, which was his cult’s, the Thelema, own ‘bible’. Edward Alexander Crowley was born October 12, 1875 in Leamington, Warwickshire
The Neoplatonic Doctrine As defined by Funk and Wagnals, Neoplatonism is a type of idealistic monism in which the ultimate reality of the universe is held to be an infinite, unknowable, perfect One. From this one emanates nous (pure intelligence), whence in turn is derived the world soul, the creative activity of which engenders the lesser souls of human beings. The world soul is conceived as an image of the nous, even as the nous is an image of the One; both the nous and the world soul, despite
“witch-hunting” like the lower classes did. The belief in witchcraft within the elite classes however created a new subject for intellectual debate. The idea of dark magic and witchcraft “formed part of a popular subculture, separate and distinct from Hermeticism and mystical beliefs which had been seen were current in intellectual circles at this time.” Even though the elite disregarded the paranoia that erupted with witchcraft, the paranoia the common people refused to be settled. This led James I and
The term Renaissance has, over the years, become synonymous with ideas of expanding civilisation, rebirth, and cultural expansion. The most renowned example of a country’s cultural renaissance was that of the Italians; however this is only one example of such a cultural and philosophical paradigm. To begin with, a “renaissance” is a revolution of the rebirth of ideals within a country’s individuals: self-awareness, art, architecture, religion and science, to name a few. For it is these ideas that
like the lower classes did. However, The belief in witchcraft within the elite class conversely created a new subject for intellectual debate. The idea of dark magic and witchcraft “formed part of a popular subculture, separate and distinct from Hermeticism and mystical beliefs which had been seen were current in intellectual circles at this time.” Even though the elite disregarded the paranoia that erupted with witchcraft, the fear of common people refused to be settled. This led James I and Parliament
During the reign of the Stuart dynasty, the idea of witchcraft and “witch hunts” became paramount within English society. By accusing certain outcasts of witchcraft within the villages, it often provided the common people of England a scapegoat when trying to rationalize unexplainable events, such as a premature death or a bad harvest. Over the course of this paper, I plan to show what sorts of people, mainly women, were being persecuted for witchcraft and the reasoning behind why these women were
Neoplatonism in Shakespeare and its Effect on Modern Literature Few writers have managed to enter the world-wide public consciousness as well as Shakespeare; everyone knows his name and can terribly misquote his plays. Yet, for all his popularity, many of his critics have called him unlearned, saying his plays are entertaining but shallow. These same critics often point at the many inconsistencies of his writing, claiming that Shakespeare was not trying to convey anything but witticisms and beautiful