Occult Origins of Science

[timboucher]

Does anybody know of good solid links online or books which cover the connections between the birth of modern science and earlier mystical systems of experimentation, such as alchemy? <br><br>Connections between the rise of modern science and Freemasonic lodges would also be welcome. Or anything else in a similar vein...<br><br>Thanks! <p></p><i></i>

[Et in Arcadia ego]

Francis Bacon would be as good a place to start as any. <p>____________________<br>Some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night.</p><i></i>

[timboucher]

more specifically? <p></p><i></i>

[BannedfromDU]

Over 100 megabytes online of information on alchemy in all its facets. Divided into over 1300 sections and providing tens of thousands of pages of text, over 2000 images, over 200 complete alchemical texts, extensive bibliographical material on the printed books and manuscripts, numerous articles, introductory and general reference material on alchemy.<br><br> This site is organised by Adam McLean, the well known authority on alchemical texts and symbolism, author and publisher of over 50 books on alchemical and Hermetic ideas.<br><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Alchemical texts - Texts in English</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>Texts primarily dealing with physical alchemy:        <br><br>16th Century and earlier:<br>A Chymicall treatise of Arnoldus de Nova Villa , The Secret Book of Artephius , Everburning Lights of Trithemius , English translation of the Rosarium philosophorum , Geber's Discovery of Secrets , Pretiossissime Donum Dei , The Crowning of Nature , Roger Bacon Tract on the Tincture and Oil of Antimony , Coelum philosophorum of Paracelsus , Paracelsus - The Treasure of Treasures for Alchemists , A Work of Saturn by Johann Isaac Hollandus<br><br>17th Century:<br>Athanasius Kircher's Table of alchemical equipment and operations , The three alchemical flasks of Oldfield , Colours to be observed in the Operation of the Great Work , The Six Keys of Eudoxus , Phantom alchemical plants of Quersitanus , Basil Valentine's Triumphal Chariot of Antimony , The Aphorisms of Urbigerus , Circulatum Minus of Urbigerus , Frontispiece to Urbigerus , John French The Art of Distillation , Francis Bacon - Experiments touching Sulphur and Mercury , Francis Bacon - The Making of Gold , Joannes Agricola A Treatise on Gold , Concerning the Material of the Stone - Ms. l'Arsenal 3027<br><br>18th Century:<br>The Golden Chain of Homer , Rosicrucian Aphorisms and Process - Bacstrom<br><br>---<br><br>Texts primarily dealing with allegorical, philosophical and spiritual alchemy:<br><br>16th Century and earlier:<br>The words of Father Aristeus to his son , Simon Forman - Of the Division of Chaos , An Alchemical Mass , Alchemy in the English State Papers , The Golden Tractate of Hermes , Alchemical Catechism of Baron Tschoudy , The Mirror of Alchemy - Roger Bacon , Bloomfield's Blossoms , The practise of Mary the Prophetess in the Alchymicall Art , An Alchemical poem by Thomas Rawlin , Summary of the Rosary of Arnold de Villa Nova , Pontanus - Epistle on the mineral fire , The Ripley Scroll , The Turba philosophorum , Marsilio Ficino on the alchemical art , Pontanus - The Secret Fire , Paracelsus - The Book Concerning the Tincture of the Philosophers , Paracelsus - The Aurora of the philosophers , Petrus Bonus A form and method of perfecting base metals<br><br>17th Century:<br>Aula lucis, or, The House of Light by Thomas Vaughan , Steganographick Collection from Le Tableau des Riches Inventions , Oswald Croll Preface of Signatures , Extract from Glauber's Short Book of Dialogues , Khunrath's Natural Symbolum or short confession , The names of the Philosophers' Stone by William Gratacolle , Michael Maier's Atalanta Fugiens , Extract from Alchymie et le Songe Verde , A 17th century allegorical alchemical poem by Edmund Dickinson , 153 Chymical aphorisms of F.M. van Helmont. , 157 Phylosophick Canons , The Book of Lambspring , Edward Kelly's Theatre of Terrestrial Astronomy , Edward Kelly's The Stone of the Philosophers , The Light coming out of darkness - Crasselame , Everard's translation of the Corpus Hermeticum , Verse on the Threefold Sophic Fire , The Tomb of Semiramis , On the Philosophers' Stone , Valentine Weigel - Astrology Theologized , Thomas Vaughan - Coelum Terrae , Aesch-Mezareph , The Iconologia of Cesare Ripa , Introduction to the Iconologia of Cesare Ripa , The War of the Knights , Robert Fludd's Mosaical Philosophy [extract] , The Hermetic Triumph , An anonymous treatise on the Philosophers' stone , Jean Albert Belin - The Adventures of an Unknown Philosopher , Ruland - On the Prima Materia , The letter of a philosopher concerning the secret of the great work , The Natural round Physick or Philosophy of the Alchymical Cabalistical Vision , An hundred aphorisms containing the whole body of magic from Ms. Sloane 1321 , Certain Verses of an Unknown Writer, from Benedict Figulus , A Short Enquiry concerning the Hermetic Art , The Hermetic Arcanum , Limojon Saint-Didier's Letter to the True Disciples of Hermes , The Glory of Light , Place in Space<br><br>18th Century and later:<br>Two prayers for alchemists by Eckartshausen , Freher's Process in the Philosophical Work , R.W. Councell Apollogia Alchymiae , The Philadelphian Gold , The Hermaphrodite child of the Son and Moon<br><br>====<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.levity.com/alchemy/texts.html">***LINK***</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[timboucher]

Thanks! I guess I should have clarified that I'm looking more specifically for information of a historical rather than metaphysical nature. Some key metaphysical source texts would be great, but I'm more in the market to develop a keener narrative understanding of the whole thing... <p></p><i></i>

[dude h homeslice ix]

theres that video, secret mysteries of americas origins, part 1...i was impressed beyond recognition, although the vibe is a more veiled "anti" position...still, at least it was slightly veiled instead of the normal "anit" position. <br><br>the part about shakespeare, the magnum opus of cultural alchemy on a global scale, was truly awe inspiring.<br><br>not sure how much it totally fits, but its an important piece with which to build your thesis.<br><br>love your blog by the way, timboucher!<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7211107180672876856">video.google.com/videopla...0672876856</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[dude h homeslice ix]

btw, one could write a book called "the occult origins of just about whatever you got," and make a strong case. <p></p><i></i>

[bvonahsen]

this site is absolutely fascinating and more or less related to your question.<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.kirchersociety.org/">Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>An ever-thinning thread binds us to our patron.<br><br>The Athanasius Kircher Society was chartered to perpetuate the spirit and sensibilities of the late Athanasius Kircher, SJ. Our interests extend to the wondrous, the curious, the singular, the esoteric, the arcane, and the sometimes hazy frontier between the plausible and the implausible — anything that Father Kircher might find cool if he were alive today. Records of our proceedings are maintained for the public’s edification.<br><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Recent articles:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.kirchersociety.org/blog/?p=541">Longest Running Scientific Experiment</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>In 1984, the European Journal of Physics published a report on the three longest-running scientific experiments. The youngest of the three experiments (shown above), begun in 1927, has been measuring the fluidity of high-viscosity pitch by counting the frequency of drops out of a funnel (they fall once every 8 or 9 years–though no one has ever been around to see it happen). The second oldest of the experiments is the Beverly Clock (shown at left) at the University of Otago in New Zealand, which draws its energy from ambient temperature fluctuations that cause the air inside an air-tight chamber to expand and contract. According to Beverly’s calculations, “one can obtain more than sufficient energy to drive an efficient clock mechanism, typically a one pound weight falling one inch each day, from a volume of one cubic foot of air expanding under a 6° diurnal variation of temperature.” The clock has not been wound since 1864. The title of longest-running scientific experiment belongs to the Oxford Electric Bell, which has been ringing continuously (though almost inaudibly) on the same pair of batteries in the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford since 1840.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.kirchersociety.org/blog/?p=861">The Museum of Medical Meteorology</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>The Museum of Medical Meteorology, housed in a cloister in the small village of Dürnhof, Austria, is dedicated to the relationship between weather and folk medicine. The only English description of the museum that we’ve been able to locate is in the wonderful and indispensable guidebook Weird Europe: A Guide to Bizarre, Macabre, and Just Plain Weird Sights, which ought to be owned by anyone who plans to visit the continent:<br><br> “From witchcraft to alleriges, barometers to blood-letting, the exhibits embark on a remarkable multidisciplinary approach to historical analysis. One entire room is devoted to the symbolism of frogs and snakes, which supposedly have supernatural powers to ensure youthful vigor, fertility and rain for the crops (see the connection?). Elsewhere you’ll learn about alchemy, divining rods, the the Theory of Similarities, anti-lightning talismans and the fusing of Christian and pagan philosophies in the Central European rural psyche.”<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>

[jingofever]

Newton:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.indiana.edu/~college/WilliamNewmanProject.shtml">www.indiana.edu/~college/...ject.shtml</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newton/alch-newman.html">www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/new...ewman.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.alchemylab.com/isaac_newton.htm">www.alchemylab.com/isaac_newton.htm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton%27s_occult_studies">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa...lt_studies</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/index.jsp">webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/.../index.jsp</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Robert Boyle:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.levity.com/alchemy/boyle.html">www.levity.com/alchemy/boyle.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:WDDOM0yhkl4J:www.bbk.ac.uk/Boyle/teachers_area/keystage3/lesson11.pdf+robert+boyle+alchemy&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox-a">72.14.203.104/search?q=ca...=firefox-a</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>you might need firefox to use that last link. here is a pdf link:<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.bbk.ac.uk/Boyle/teachers_area/keystage3/lesson11.pdf">www.bbk.ac.uk/Boyle/teach...sson11.pdf</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://physicsweb.org/articles/review/11/12/5/1">physicsweb.org/articles/review/11/12/5/1</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Tycho Brahe:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_Brahe#Astrology">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyc...#Astrology</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>General:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology_and_astronomy">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ast..._astronomy</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309089050/html/68.html">darwin.nap.edu/books/0309...ml/68.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[timboucher]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>theres that video, secret mysteries of americas origins, part 1...i was impressed beyond recognition, although the vibe is a more veiled "anti" position...still, at least it was slightly veiled instead of the normal "anit" position.<br><br>the part about shakespeare, the magnum opus of cultural alchemy on a global scale, was truly awe inspiring.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Ah, thanks! That video was pretty good, but I think they could have trimmed it down to under two hours and it would have been a lot better. I really liked the way they depicted Bacon and in regards to the whole Shake-speare thing. That was pretty awesome. But I thought a lot of their stuff about Freemasonry was sort of goofy. <br><br>Lots of interesting stuff either way. Thanks everyone else for the other links as well! <p></p><i></i>

[heyjt]

Funny you should post this request. <br>Right now I've been reading "Morning fo the Magicians". The chapter I'm on is about alchemy. <br> Here's a review:<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.cafes.net/ditch/motm1.htm">www.cafes.net/ditch/motm1.htm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[heyjt]

From the above review of "Morning of the Magicians":<br><br>One of the most important sections in Morning of the Magicians is the speculation on a possible connection between the ancient art of alchemy and modern atomic physics. Pauwels and Bergier suggest that some of the practitioners of alchemy may have understood the nature of matter, and wrote about it in their special symbolic language. I'm sure that this is one of Pauwels and Bergier's contributions to the literature of the 60's and 70's. Alchemy became one of the "buzz words" in certain intellectual circles, during this period. New surveys were written on alchemy, and the classic studies were reprinted. <p></p><i></i>

[dude h homeslice ix]

there was a special democracy now program where an australian or english woman, a doctor, lectured on the secrets of the nuclear bomb program, the manhattan project...the way they talked about their project...it was like alchemy, or sex, or some sort of magical operation, the bomb being the magical child in this case...the ladys name was helen caldicott, but i cant find the lecture. it was pretty sick. <p></p><i></i>

[Moondog]

Tim -<br><br>The Chemical Heritage Foundation held a conference in Philadelphia last month, covering this very topic. It might be worthwhile following up with them.<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/02/healthscience/snalchemy.php">www.iht.com/articles/2006...lchemy.php</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[dude h homeslice ix]

fun fact: the arizona historical society adopted as its emblem the alchemical symbol for copper... <p></p><i></i>