The Mage's Images: Heinrich Khunrath in His Oratory and Laboratory, Volume 3

Peter J. Forshaw, Ph.D. (2004), London University, is Associate Professor in History of Western Esotericism at the University of Amsterdam. He was editor of the journal Aries (2010-2020), has edited essay collections and published articles and chapters on esotericism and occult philosophy.

Contents


Acknowledgements


List of Figures


List of Tables





Introductory Note





5 Magic: Physical, Hyperphysical and Divine


 1 Occult Forebears


 2 Hermes Trismegistus


 3 Reuchlin’s Threefold Art of Miracles


 4 Agrippa’s Three Books


 5 Paracelsus’s Sagacious Philosophy


 6 Giovanni Battista Della Porta


 7 1) Natural (or Physical) Magic


 8 Theo-magia of the Macro- and Micro-cosm


 9 Signatures of Natural Things


 10 Phytognomonica


 11 Character Reading: Physiognomy, Metoposcopy & Chiromancy


 12 2) Mathematical, Celestial or Astral Magic


 13 i) Heavens: Meteorology, Astrology, & Astral Divination


 14 The Most Accurate Observations of King Zebel


 15 Image Magic: Talismans and Gamahaea


 16 Khunrath’s Practical Applications


 17 ii) Earth: Geomantic Divination and the Casting of Lots


 18 Sortilegia of the Apostles


 19 Liber Albedachi


 20 Liber Almachbale


 21 Compendiaria Secretissimaque Operatio Geomantica


 22 iii) Oratorium, Auditorium, Laboratorium: Magic, Music, and Alchemy


 23 Oratory as the Sensorium, the Space or Place of Magic


 24 Counsel concerning Vulcan’s Magical Forging of the Arms of Achilles


 25 3) Ceremonial or Ritual Magic


 26 Hyperphysical Magic


 27 Divine Magic


 28 Theurgy or Angel Magic


 29 Necromancy


 30 Addressative Magic and Intermediary Beings


 31 Seven Oracular Laws at the Entrance


 32 Consilium Dei


 33 Naming Demons


 34 Condemning Nigromancy


 35 Reformation of Magic


 36 Magical Prayer


 37 A Hymn to the Generator and Craftsman of Everything


 38 Sigillum Dei: Virtuous Pentacle of Solomon


 39 Almadel or Liber Intelligentiarum


 40 Tabulae Theosophicae Cabbalisticae – Cabbalistic Theosophical Tables


 41 Do Not Speak of God without Light


 42 A Concealed ‘Illustration’


 43 Five Letters: I.V.A.O.V.


 44 From Majorca to Nettesheim: a Lineage of Magicians


 45 Circulus seu Tabula Veritatis – the Circle or Table of Truth


 46 Ars Crucifixi – Art of the Crucifix


 47 De proprio Angelo – on One’s Own Angel


 48 Peri Anacriseōn ton hypnoticōn – on Visions of Secret Things in Dreams


 49 Dormiens Vigila: in Oratorio, Laboratorio, Dormitorio


 50 Conclusion





6 From Physico-Chymistry to Supernatural Alchemy?


 1 Khunrath’s Terminology


 2 Alchemia, Alchymia and Halchymia


 3 Chrysopoeia – Goldmaking


 4 On Primaterial Chaos


 5 Universal Magnesia of the Philosophers


 6 The Athanor: Khunrath’s Design for a Furnace


 7 Physico-Chemistry in the Amphitheatre


 8 The Influence of Paracelsus: Chymiatria, Iatrochymia, Spagyria


 9 Ratio & Experientia


 10 Khunrath the Paracelsian


 11 Three Questions


 12 Vulcan’s Art of Fire


 13 Solar Fire and the Paracelsian Archaeus


 14 Higher and Lower Astronomy: Alchemy and Astrology


 15 Operations: Chrysopoetic and Spagyric


 16 Equipment in the Laboratory


 17 On the Table


 18 Under the Table


 19 Equipment in Khunrath’s Portrait


 20 Reagent Bottles and Khunrath’s Alchemical Glyphs


 21 Substances: Animal, Vegetable and Mineral


 22 Khunrath’s Rebis and the First Secret of the Art


 23 The Subject or Matter of Our Stone


 24 ΧΑΟΣ – Chaos


 25 Magnesia


 26 Azoth


 27 Neither Mercury, nor Antimony, but Salt


 28 ☿ Mercurialists


 29 ♁ Antimonialists


 30  Vitriolists


 31 g & j There Is Nothing More Useful in the World Than Sun and Salt


 32 The Second Secret of the Art: the Threefold Regimen


 33 The First Regimen: Preparatory Work


 34 The Second Regimen: After-Work


 35 Colour Changes & the Bird of Hermes


 36 Plusquamperfectio: Surpassing Perfection


 37 The Third Regimen: the Stone’s Union with the Macrocosm


 38 The Philosophers’ Stone & Its Triune Use


 39 Types of Stones


 40 1. The Macrocosmic Stone


 41 2. The Microcosmic Stone


 42 3. The Divine Stone


 43 The Elixir: Elixeir


 44 Religion and Alchemy


 45 Book of the Holy Trinity


 46 The Dawn Rising


 47 Cabala and Alchemy


 48 The First “Cabalchemist”: Giovanni Agostino Pantheo


 49 Cabala, Cabalia, sive Cabalistica Ars: Theophrastus Paracelsus


 50 A Vexed Question: Spiritual Alchemy


 51 Some Problems with ‘Some Problems’?


 52 A School of Supernatural Alchemy


 53 The Occult Laboratory and ‘Spiritual Chymists’


 54 The Vast Majority: Material Substances and Material Goals


 55 A by No Means Insignificant Minority: the Influence of Gerard Dorn


 56 Ascetic Practice and Alchemical Inspiration


 57 Religious Dimensions: Khunrath’s Theo-Alchemy


 58 1) Alchemical Theology: the Alchemical Exegesis of Genesis


 59 2) An Analogical Harmony: Christ and the Stone


 60 Regeneration, Rejuvenation, Rebirth


 61 A Philosophical Song on the Incorporation of the Spirit of the Lord in Salt


 62 Alchemy and Theurgy: Philosophers’ Stone in the Service of Divine Magic


 63 Father of All Talismans


 64 Artificially Fashioned Magical Stones


 65 Alchemy, Self-Perfection & Transformation in the Amphitheatre


 66 Spiritual Transmutation of Man


 67 Conclusion


Index