Encyclopedia

Saint Benedict

Founder of Western monasticism and author of the Rule of Saint Benedict, which established the cenobitic life in the Latin Church. In esoteric contexts, he is often cited for his spiritual discipline and influence on medieval intellectual culture.

11 books · 200 mentions

Sun of Righteousness

A messianic title from the Book of Malachi, frequently used in Christian and alchemical literature to symbolize Christ or the spiritual illumination of the soul.

11 books · 196 mentions

Salt of Tartar

A chemical substance (potassium carbonate) obtained by the calcination of tartar, highly valued in alchemy and early chemistry as a powerful solvent and flux.

11 books · 193 mentions

Salt

One of the three Paracelsian principles (Tria Prima), representing the material body, fixity, and the physical substrate of all things.

11 books · 192 mentions

Styria

A historical region in modern-day Austria, significant as the location where Johannes Kepler developed his early cosmological theories and a center for mining and metallurgy.

11 books · 166 mentions

Saraswati

The Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning, often invoked in the mastery of sacred sciences.

11 books · 153 mentions

Sardis

An ancient city in Asia Minor, the capital of the kingdom of Lydia and one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

11 books · 147 mentions

Solinus

A 3rd-century Roman grammarian and compiler known for his 'Collectanea rerum memorabilium,' which preserved numerous geographical and natural history curiosities.

11 books · 123 mentions

Scipio

Refers to members of the Roman Scipio family, most notably Scipio Africanus, celebrated in early modern thought for his military virtue and the 'Dream of Scipio' (Somnium Scipionis). This dream served as a key text for Neoplatonic cosmological speculation.

11 books · 115 mentions

Smyrna

An ancient Greek city on the coast of Anatolia, significant as one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. It appears in texts concerning early church history and apocalyptic commentary.

11 books · 113 mentions

Sesquialter ratio

11 books · 110 mentions

Speyer

An imperial city in Germany known for its Romanesque cathedral and as the site of several Diets where crucial Reformation decisions were made.

10 books · 232 mentions

Saint John the Evangelist

10 books · 211 mentions

Sensitive Soul

10 books · 192 mentions

Son of the Moon (Mercury)

In Vedic astrology, the personification of the planet Mercury, traditionally described as the son of the Moon (Chandra) and Tara.

10 books · 185 mentions

Savoy

A historical region and duchy in the Western Alps that served as a significant political and cultural crossroads between France, Italy, and Switzerland. It was a site of religious conflict and mystical activity during the early modern period, often mentioned in diplomatic and theological histories.

10 books · 178 mentions

Species

In Aristotelian logic, a category of being sharing a common essence; in optics, it refers to the intentional species or images transmitted from objects to the senses.

10 books · 171 mentions

Sankranti (Solar Transit)

10 books · 164 mentions

Sphere of fire

10 books · 163 mentions

Sacraments

Visible rites and rituals in Christianity considered to be outward signs of inward spiritual grace. In the early modern period, their nature and number were central points of contention between Catholic and Protestant theologians.

10 books · 146 mentions

Servius

A late 4th-century grammarian and commentator known for his extensive and influential commentary on the works of Virgil. His writings were a primary source for Renaissance humanists seeking to understand classical mythology, geography, and linguistics.

10 books · 145 mentions

Sallust

A Roman historian and politician known for his monographs on the Catiline conspiracy, highly regarded by Renaissance humanists for his concise style and moral insights.

10 books · 144 mentions

Synonyms

In early modern logic and dialectics, synonyms refer to words with the same meaning used to clarify definitions or enhance rhetorical variety. They were central to the study of semantics and the classification of terms in scholastic and humanist thought.

10 books · 142 mentions

Saint Basil

A 4th-century Church Father whose writings on the creation of the world influenced early modern Christian interpretations of nature and cosmology.

10 books · 137 mentions

Synagogue

The Jewish place of assembly and worship, which in early modern Christian texts was often discussed in the context of Hebraic studies, the history of the Early Church, and the study of the Kabbalah.

10 books · 127 mentions

Strangury

A medical condition characterized by painful, frequent, and slow urination, often discussed in early modern iatrochemical and Galenic texts. It was frequently addressed in the works of Paracelsus and Van Helmont as a symptom of internal 'tartar' or blockages.

10 books · 119 mentions

Sublunary world

In Aristotelian and medieval cosmology, the region of the universe below the moon, characterized by change, decay, and the four elements. It stands in contrast to the eternal and unchanging celestial spheres above.

10 books · 83 mentions

Statius

A Roman poet of the Silver Age, author of the 'Thebaid', who appears as a significant character and guide in Dante's 'Purgatorio'.

9 books · 227 mentions

Saturn (Lead)

In the alchemical tradition, the planet Saturn is associated with the metal lead, representing the nigredo stage of transformation, melancholy, and material weight.

9 books · 214 mentions

Social Contract

A political and philosophical theory concerning the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual.

9 books · 194 mentions

Sesquialtera

A musical and mathematical ratio of 3:2, representing the interval of a perfect fifth, central to theories of cosmic harmony.

9 books · 177 mentions

Scribes

9 books · 177 mentions

Shangdang

A historical region in northern China, modern-day Shanxi, famous in traditional Chinese medicine for producing high-quality medicinal roots like Codonopsis.

9 books · 167 mentions

Sun (Gold)

In alchemical symbolism, the Sun represents the metal gold, the masculine principle, and the perfected state of matter or the soul.

9 books · 163 mentions

Senior

Commonly referring to Senior Zadith (Ibn Umail), a 10th-century Arabic alchemist whose 'Tabula Chimica' was highly influential in the Latin alchemical tradition.

9 books · 161 mentions

Seal of Hermes

An alchemical concept referring to the airtight sealing of a glass vessel to prevent the escape of volatile spirits during the transmutation process.

9 books · 161 mentions

Sulphur

One of the three primary principles (Tria Prima) in Paracelsian alchemy, representing the soul, the combustible principle, and the active masculine force.

9 books · 152 mentions

Spherical Triangles

9 books · 150 mentions

Sephiroth

The ten attributes or emanations in Kabbalah through which the Infinite reveals itself and continuously creates both the physical and metaphysical realms.

9 books · 149 mentions

Skanda

The Hindu deity of war and victory, also known as Kartikeya, who appears in esoteric Tantric texts as a significant figure in the pantheon and a symbol of spiritual discipline. He is often associated with the planet Mars in astrological treatises like the Brihat Samhita.

9 books · 143 mentions

Salerno

An Italian city famous for the Schola Medica Salernitana, the first medieval medical school, which bridged Greek, Arabic, and Latin medical traditions. It is frequently referenced in alchemical and medical treatises like those of Paracelsus.

9 books · 140 mentions

Shaka Year

9 books · 136 mentions

Solution

One of the fundamental operations in alchemy (solutio), involving the liquefaction of a solid substance or the dissolving of a body into its primary matter. It is often associated with the first stage of the Great Work, representing the breakdown of the ego or the physical form.

9 books · 134 mentions

Sextus Tarquinius

The son of the last king of Rome, whose rape of Lucretia led to the overthrow of the Roman monarchy and the establishment of the Republic.

9 books · 133 mentions

Syncretism

The practice of merging different beliefs, schools of thought, or religious traditions, a central method in Renaissance Hermeticism and Neoplatonism to reconcile ancient wisdom.

9 books · 132 mentions

Skepticism

A philosophical tradition that questions the certainty of human knowledge, which saw a major revival in the 16th century through the recovery of Sextus Empiricus.

9 books · 131 mentions

Sirach

Also known as Ben Sira, he was the 2nd-century BCE Jewish scribe and author of the Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), a key text in the wisdom literature tradition.

9 books · 130 mentions

Samudrika Shastra

An ancient Indian tradition of physiognomy and palmistry that interprets physical features and body marks to predict destiny or character. It is a significant component of the broader Jyotisha sciences.

9 books · 128 mentions

Self-motion

9 books · 125 mentions

Sympathy

A fundamental principle in Renaissance natural philosophy suggesting a hidden attraction or consensus between distant things in the macrocosm and microcosm.

9 books · 122 mentions

Substance and Accident

A fundamental Aristotelian ontological distinction where substance is that which exists in itself, while accidents are properties that can only exist within a substance. This framework was essential to Scholasticism and early modern debates on the nature of matter and the Eucharist.

9 books · 116 mentions

Sacrilege

9 books · 105 mentions

Suidas

The purported author of the 'Suda', a massive 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia that was an essential reference for Renaissance humanists studying classical antiquity.

9 books · 105 mentions

Simplicity

A theological and philosophical attribute, particularly in Divine Simplicity, asserting that God or the First Principle is without parts, composition, or complexity.

9 books · 98 mentions

Sublunary world

9 books · 86 mentions

Shechem

An ancient Canaanite and Israelite city of great religious significance, frequently mentioned in the Old Testament and kabbalistic interpretations of scripture.

8 books · 211 mentions

Sulpicia

The name of several notable Roman women, most famously a poet of the Augustan age whose elegies are preserved in the Tibullan corpus. She is often included in catalogs of famous women as an exemplar of female literary achievement.

8 books · 201 mentions

Spiritual Marriage

8 books · 196 mentions