Encyclopedia

Sardinia

A large Mediterranean island that appears in historical and geographical texts often in relation to its ancient Nuragic civilization and its role in the maritime trade of the Renaissance.

19 books · 263 mentions

Switzerland

A mountainous Central European country that became a refuge for radical reformers and a center for the development of Paracelsian medicine and natural philosophy.

18 books · 329 mentions

Strabo

A Greek geographer, philosopher, and historian whose work Geographica provided a comprehensive survey of the known world and was highly influential during the Renaissance.

18 books · 273 mentions

Southwest

One of the cardinal directions, often associated in Vastu Shastra and traditional Indian cosmology with the deity Nirriti, representing destruction or stability. In Western esotericism, directions often hold specific elemental or planetary correspondences.

18 books · 261 mentions

Soul of the World

An intrinsic connection between all living things, often conceived as a vital force that animates the universe as a single organism in Hermetic and Neoplatonic traditions.

18 books · 242 mentions

Soul of the World (Anima Mundi)

An intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet, often described in Platonic and Hermetic philosophy as the animating force of the universe.

18 books · 237 mentions

Styx

In Greek mythology and Western esotericism, the principal river of the underworld that forms the boundary between Earth and the realm of the dead, often used allegorically in Neoplatonic texts.

18 books · 210 mentions

Shripati

An 11th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer who wrote influential works on arithmetic, algebra, and the calculation of planetary positions.

17 books · 419 mentions

Saint Gregory

Commonly refers to Gregory the Great, a Pope and Doctor of the Church whose writings on morality and mysticism were foundational for medieval Western Christianity.

17 books · 375 mentions

Symmetry

A fundamental principle in Renaissance architecture and natural philosophy, reflecting the belief in a divinely ordered and proportional universe.

17 books · 362 mentions

Superstition

In early modern discourse, often defined as 'false religion' or irrational belief in supernatural causality, frequently debated in the context of witchcraft and magic.

17 books · 297 mentions

Simonides of Ceos

17 books · 272 mentions

Seth

The third son of Adam, regarded in Hermetic and Kabbalistic traditions as the recipient of divine wisdom and the progenitor of a spiritual lineage.

17 books · 222 mentions

Siena

An Italian city known for its medieval architecture and its university, serving as a significant center for humanist learning and the arts.

16 books · 434 mentions

Seville

A major city in southern Spain that served as a vital cultural and economic hub, particularly during the Golden Age of Spain and the exploration of the New World. It is mentioned in alchemical manuscripts and religious texts.

16 books · 293 mentions

Sidon

An ancient Phoenician port city frequently mentioned in biblical and classical texts as a center of trade and glassmaking, often linked to the origins of Hermetic wisdom.

16 books · 291 mentions

Spagyric Art

A term coined by Paracelsus referring to the production of medicines through alchemical processes, specifically the separation and recombination of principles.

16 books · 274 mentions

Southeast

One of the intermediate cardinal directions, often associated with the fire element (Agni) in traditional Indian vastu and astrology.

16 books · 230 mentions

Steganography

The practice of concealing a message within another non-secret text or data, famously explored by Johannes Trithemius in a work that blended cryptography with angel magic.

15 books · 428 mentions

Substance

A fundamental ontological category in Western philosophy, referring to that which exists in itself and serves as the subject of properties.

15 books · 329 mentions

Strong Water (Aqua Fortis)

An early chemical and alchemical term for nitric acid, valued for its ability to dissolve most metals, particularly silver, while leaving gold untouched. It played a crucial role in the development of assaying and the separation of precious metals.

15 books · 324 mentions

Silesia

A historical region in Central Europe that became a significant center for mining, alchemy, and mystical movements like those of Jacob Böhme during the early modern period. It was frequently mentioned in chemical and botanical treatises due to its rich mineral deposits.

15 books · 316 mentions

Syrianus

A 5th-century Neoplatonist philosopher and head of the Academy in Athens who was the teacher of Proclus and a key figure in systematizing Neoplatonic metaphysics.

15 books · 299 mentions

Self-knowledge

A central theme in Western mysticism and philosophy, emphasizing the introspective understanding of one's soul as a prerequisite for divine union or ethical living.

15 books · 287 mentions

Samael

An important figure in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, often identified as an archangel, the accuser, and the angel of death in Kabbalistic demonology.

15 books · 258 mentions

Swabia

A historical region in southwestern Germany, significant in the history of alchemy and mysticism as a center for radical Reformation thought.

15 books · 228 mentions

Saint Paul's Churchyard

15 books · 209 mentions

Shem

One of the sons of Noah in the Hebrew Bible, traditionally regarded in esoteric and genealogical texts as the ancestor of the Semitic peoples and a keeper of antediluvian wisdom.

14 books · 397 mentions

Southern Hemisphere

The half of the Earth south of the equator, which became a subject of intense speculation and discovery during the Age of Exploration and the development of heliocentric astronomy.

14 books · 375 mentions

Sympathetic Magic

A type of magic based on the principle that things act on each other through hidden affinities or correspondences, often categorized into homeopathic and contagious magic.

14 books · 288 mentions

Scipio Africanus

A Roman general famous for defeating Hannibal, immortalized in Western literature through Cicero's 'Dream of Scipio,' a key text for Neoplatonic cosmology.

14 books · 276 mentions

Saint Francis

An Italian mystic and founder of the Franciscan Order whose life of poverty and visions of the stigmata deeply influenced late medieval and Renaissance spirituality.

14 books · 269 mentions

Sappho

An archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, celebrated for her lyric poetry and her influence on the Western literary canon. In early modern texts, she is often cited as a paragon of female learning and poetic genius.

14 books · 234 mentions

Son of the Sun (Saturn)

In Hindu astrology, this refers to the planet Saturn (Shani), personified as the son of the Sun god Surya and his wife Chhaya.

14 books · 212 mentions

Secondary Causes

A philosophical and theological concept referring to the laws of nature and the actions of created beings as instruments through which the Primary Cause operates.

14 books · 209 mentions

Sovereignty

The concept of supreme and independent authority over a geographic area or government, a foundational idea in modern political theory.

14 books · 185 mentions

Sais

An ancient Egyptian city in the Nile Delta, famous in Hermetic and Platonic literature as the site where Solon allegedly learned the history of Atlantis from Egyptian priests.

14 books · 172 mentions

Saint Anthony

A Christian monk from Egypt and a leading figure among the Desert Fathers, renowned for his asceticism and his legendary 'temptations' by demons. In the history of ideas, he represents the archetype of the solitary mystic and the struggle against spiritual illusions.

14 books · 170 mentions

Simony

The ecclesiastical crime of buying or selling spiritual things, such as church offices or sacraments, widely condemned in medieval and early modern law.

13 books · 319 mentions

Spirit of Vitriol

13 books · 260 mentions

Salzburg

An Austrian city that served as a significant ecclesiastical and political center, notably associated with the life and works of Paracelsus. It was a hub for early modern natural philosophy and mining-related alchemy.

13 books · 246 mentions

Saint James

13 books · 228 mentions

Syene

An ancient Egyptian city located on the Nile, famous in the history of science as the site used by Eratosthenes to calculate the circumference of the Earth.

13 books · 205 mentions

South Pole

The southernmost point on Earth, which in early modern natural philosophy and magnetism was often discussed in relation to the Earth's polarity and the 'anima mundi.' It featured in speculative cosmographies and the search for geographical and spiritual symmetry.

13 books · 200 mentions

Sabbath

The Jewish day of rest, which in esoteric and occult contexts was often associated with planetary magic or the gathering of practitioners of the dark arts.

12 books · 264 mentions

Sophists

Ancient Greek teachers of rhetoric and virtue often criticized by later philosophers for prioritizing persuasive speech over absolute truth.

12 books · 236 mentions

Serapion

Refers to either Serapion the Elder or Serapion the Younger, influential figures in the Arabic medical tradition whose works were translated into Latin and used by Paracelsians.

12 books · 229 mentions

Seraphim

The highest order of angels in the celestial hierarchy, characterized by their fiery nature and perpetual adoration of the divine. In Western esotericism and Kabbalah, they are often associated with the element of fire and the Sephirah of Keter or Geburah.

12 books · 208 mentions

Speusippus

The nephew of Plato and his successor as the head of the Academy, known for emphasizing mathematical entities as the primary principles of reality.

12 books · 201 mentions

Suetonius

A Roman historian who wrote De Vita Caesarum (The Twelve Caesars), providing detailed biographies of Rome's early leaders. His works were essential sources for Renaissance humanists studying the political and social history of the Roman Empire.

12 books · 191 mentions

Simon

Often refers to Simon Magus, a 1st-century religious figure and sorcerer mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, regarded as a founder of Gnosticism.

12 books · 166 mentions

Stuttgart

A city in southwestern Germany that served as a significant center for printing and intellectual exchange during the Reformation and the development of Rosicrucianism.

12 books · 161 mentions

Susa

An ancient city of the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian empires, often mentioned in classical and biblical texts as a center of royal power and administrative significance.

12 books · 130 mentions

Simon Peter

One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and the traditional first Bishop of Rome, central to Christian theology and ecclesiology. In esoteric and apocryphal traditions, he is sometimes associated with secret keys of spiritual authority or magical protection.

11 books · 344 mentions

Stockholm

The capital of Sweden and a significant center for the Swedish Empire, notably the home of Emanuel Swedenborg whose mystical writings influenced later Western esotericism.

11 books · 281 mentions

Spinoza

A Dutch philosopher of Sephardic Jewish origin who laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment with his monistic metaphysics and critique of traditional religion. His work was often labeled as 'atheistic' or 'pantheistic' in early modern polemics.

11 books · 277 mentions

Sponheim

A German town and site of a Benedictine abbey where the polymath Johannes Trithemius served as abbot, becoming a hub for Renaissance magic and steganography.

11 books · 249 mentions

Spirit of Salt

An archaic alchemical term for hydrochloric acid, produced through the distillation of common salt and used extensively in early chemical experimentation.

11 books · 239 mentions