+- Alchemy Discussion Forum (https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Alchemy Discussion Forum (https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Alchemical symbolism and imagery (https://www.alchemywebsite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Thread: Kircher alchemical chart (/showthread.php?tid=55)
Kircher alchemical chart - Adam McLean - 12-30-2022
Here is an interesting diagram found in Athanasius Kircher's book on alchemy in his Mundus Subterraneus.
The Latin text appears to say.
Whatever is contained in the whole of alchemy is set before the eyes of the inquisitive reader, as if in an anacephalaeotic synopsis. And outside of this, whether you look at the manufacture of stone, or at the metallurgical art, or at the mixtures of metals, or again at their genesis, do not look for anything useful and fruitful for chemical operations.
In this combinatorial chart, the imperfect metals and substances all seem to trace themselves back to the perfect metals plus sulphur.
RE: Kircher alchemical chart - Paul Ferguson - 12-31-2022
Extraordinary.
Anacephalaeosis (derives from Greek combination ‘ana’ “back” and ‘cephale’ “head”), is a figure for recapitulation by which the speaker summarizes or recapitulates the heads, major points, or the significant part of the discourse.
https://www.ifioque.com/figures-of-speech/scheme/anacephalaeosis
Adam, his autobiography might make an interesting translation project:
https://archive.org/details/selbstbiographie00atha/page/n5/mode/2up
RE: Kircher alchemical chart - Adam McLean - 12-31-2022
Kircher's autobiography seems to have been translated in
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Study-Athanasius-Kircher-Germanus-Incredibilis/dp/9004207120
RE: Kircher alchemical chart - Adam McLean - 12-31-2022
Thanks for the explanation of 'Anacephalaeosis'. I never knew there were so many figures of speech!