European Spiritual Alchemy grew out of the complex world of medieval German mysticism, Paracelsian Alchemy, Heterodox Lutheranism and was most powerfully forged by the Theosophy of Jacob Böhme (1575 - 1624)). In the second part of our series on the development of Spiritual Alchemy, we now turn to the rise of Theosophy led by Böhme. Specifically how Theosophy would see the history of salvation is a history of the alchemical process of de-transmutation (the fall of human kind), the individual transmutation of Jesus of Nazareth as Christ-Sophia, the spiritual transmutation of humanity and nature (redemption), before a final physical transmutation of all of reality as the reconciliation of the divine with itself - all of which as on vast Alchemical symphony.
Consider Supporting Esoterica!
Patreon - / esotericachannel
Paypal Donation - www.paypal.me/esotericachannel
Merch - / @theesotericachannel
Recommended Readings:
Zuber - Spiritual Alchemy: From Jacob Boehme to Mary Anne Atwood - 978-0190073046
Other Readings:
Linden, Stanton J. (ed.) The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton. 978-0521796620. Nicely edited collection of alchemical primary texts.
Principe, Lawrence. The Secrets of Alchemy. 978-0226103792. An up-to-date history of alchemy.
Newman, William. Newton the Alchemist: Science, Enigma, and the Quest for Nature's "Secret Fire" 978-0691174877. Cutting edge research on alchemy in the 17th century.
Roob, Alexander(ed.) Alchemy & Mysticism. 978-3836549363. A collection of alchemical imagery and symbolism, also a nice coffee table book!
Spiritual / Psychology School of Interpretation
Atwood, Mary Anne. A Suggestive Inquiry into the Hermetic Mystery….(many re-print editions). The first text to introduce the ‘spiritual interpretation” of alchemy.
Eliade, Mircea. The Forge and the Crucible: The Origins and Structure of Alchemy. 978-0226203904. Religious-philosophical interpretation of alchemy.
von Franz, Marie-Louise. Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology. 978-0919123045. An introduction to the Jungian psychological interpretation of alchemy.