Encyclopedia

The Three Principles

A concept popularized by Jacob Boehme and Paracelsus, referring to the fundamental constituents of reality—often identified as Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury—or the spiritual forces of light and dark.

18 books · 565 mentions

The Intelligible World

In Neoplatonism and Hermeticism, the higher realm of existence containing the eternal Forms or Ideas, accessible only through the intellect.

18 books · 424 mentions

Tarentum

An ancient Greek colony in southern Italy known for its school of Pythagorean philosophy and its strategic importance in the Magna Graecia region.

18 books · 290 mentions

Theology

The systematic study of the nature of the divine and religious belief, which served as the Queen of the Sciences in the medieval and early modern university curriculum.

18 books · 206 mentions

Toronto

A major city in Canada, appearing in this context likely due to modern academic publications or library collections of rare esoteric texts.

18 books · 193 mentions

Tiber River

The main watercourse of Rome, frequently appearing in Renaissance literature as a symbol of Roman history, authority, and the classical past.

17 books · 316 mentions

Tiberius

The second Roman Emperor, whose reign coincided with the life of Jesus Christ and is frequently cited in historical and theological chronologies.

17 books · 282 mentions

The Church

In mystical and theological contexts, the spiritual body of believers or the institutional structure representing the divine kingdom on earth.

17 books · 274 mentions

Trajan

Roman Emperor known for his military conquests and benevolent rule, frequently cited in the Renaissance as an exemplar of the just and virtuous leader.

17 books · 273 mentions

Transmutation of Metals

The alchemical process of converting base metals into noble ones, serving as both a physical laboratory goal and a metaphor for spiritual purification.

17 books · 262 mentions

The Great Work

The central goal of alchemy, involving the transmutation of base metals into gold or the attainment of spiritual enlightenment and the Philosopher's Stone.

16 books · 607 mentions

Tyranny

A form of government characterized by absolute power and the oppression of subjects, frequently analyzed in classical and Renaissance political philosophy.

16 books · 500 mentions

Theodorus

Likely referring to Theodorus of Cyrene, a Greek mathematician and philosopher associated with the Cyrenaic school and mentioned in Plato's dialogues. He is often cited in Renaissance works on geometry and Platonic philosophy.

16 books · 396 mentions

Timothy

A first-century Christian bishop and companion of the Apostle Paul, to whom two epistles in the New Testament are addressed. In the works of Pseudo-Dionysius and Ficino, he is often the recipient of mystical and theological discourses.

16 books · 359 mentions

Tiresias

A blind prophet of Thebes in Greek mythology who represents the archetype of the seer possessing spiritual insight despite physical blindness.

16 books · 170 mentions

Turin

An Italian city that served as the capital of the Duchy of Savoy and became a center for Baroque architecture and scientific inquiry. It is often mentioned in early modern texts regarding its political and cultural influence.

15 books · 441 mentions

The Book of Life

A biblical and mystical concept referring to the record of those destined for salvation, often interpreted in esoteric traditions as a celestial register of souls.

15 books · 357 mentions

The Apostle (Paul)

A pivotal figure in early Christianity whose epistles provided the theological foundation for much of Western mysticism and the concept of the third heaven.

15 books · 250 mentions

The Devil

The personification of ultimate evil and the adversary of God in Christian and Western esoteric traditions, frequently discussed in demonology and moral theology.

15 books · 247 mentions

The Seven Planets

The classical celestial bodies visible to the naked eye which formed the basis of ancient and medieval astronomy and astrology. They were often associated with specific metals, deities, and psychological archetypes in alchemical traditions.

15 books · 230 mentions

Third Heaven

A celestial realm mentioned by the Apostle Paul, interpreted in mystical and Hermetic traditions as a state of supreme spiritual ecstasy or a specific level of the cosmos.

15 books · 209 mentions

Theophilus

Likely refers to Theophilus Protospatharius, a 7th-century Byzantine medical writer whose works on pulse and urine were standard texts in medieval and Renaissance medicine.

15 books · 169 mentions

Tantalus

A figure from Greek mythology whose eternal punishment of unquenchable thirst and hunger served as a frequent allegory in moral and alchemical texts for the pursuit of the unattainable.

15 books · 167 mentions

Tria Prima (Salt, Sulfur, Mercury)

The three fundamental principles of matter introduced by Paracelsus, representing the body (Salt), soul (Sulfur), and spirit (Mercury) of all substances.

14 books · 267 mentions

Temples

Sacred structures dedicated to religious or ritual activities, often viewed in esoteric traditions as microcosmic representations of the universe or the human body.

14 books · 258 mentions

The Desert

A symbolic and physical space of asceticism and spiritual trial, central to the lives of the Desert Fathers and various mystical traditions.

14 books · 232 mentions

Titus

An early Christian missionary and companion of the Apostle Paul, to whom the New Testament Epistle to Titus is addressed.

14 books · 225 mentions

Triplicities

A system in traditional astrology that groups the twelve zodiac signs into four elemental sets (Fire, Earth, Air, and Water), each containing three signs.

14 books · 206 mentions

The Egyptians

In esoteric literature, the ancient inhabitants of Egypt regarded as the original possessors of sacred wisdom, alchemy, and the Hermetic arts.

14 books · 181 mentions

Terence

A Roman playwright of the Republican era whose comedies were used as standard texts for teaching Latin and moral philosophy during the Renaissance.

14 books · 166 mentions

The Eighth Sphere

14 books · 146 mentions

The Good

In Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy, the ultimate principle and source of all being and value, often identified with 'the One.'

13 books · 339 mentions

The Cross

In mystical theology, particularly that of Jacob Boehme, the Cross represents the metaphysical intersection of the eternal and temporal worlds.

13 books · 298 mentions

Toulouse

A major city in southern France, historically significant as a center of the Cathar movement and later as a site of intellectual conflict during the Reformation.

13 books · 244 mentions

The Sibyl

Prophetic women in ancient Greece and Rome who delivered oracles under divine inspiration, often cited in Hermetic and Neoplatonic texts as sources of ancient wisdom.

13 books · 224 mentions

Tetractys

A triangular figure consisting of ten points, serving as a sacred Pythagorean symbol representing the organization of the universe and the decad.

13 books · 208 mentions

The Center of the World

13 books · 206 mentions

Thucydides

An Athenian historian known for his History of the Peloponnesian War, valued by Renaissance humanists for his analytical approach to history and political realism.

13 books · 157 mentions

The Empyrean

13 books · 156 mentions

The Seven Seals

12 books · 331 mentions

Tartary

A historical region in North and Central Asia, often depicted in early modern European texts as a vast, mysterious territory of nomadic empires.

12 books · 223 mentions

Thomas

Likely referring to Thomas Aquinas, the Dominican philosopher whose synthesis of Aristotelianism and Christianity defined Scholasticism and who was often attributed pseudepigraphical alchemical works.

12 books · 208 mentions

The Son

The second person of the Holy Trinity in Christian theology, often identified in esoteric texts with the Logos or the spiritual sun.

12 books · 198 mentions

The One (Unum)

The supreme, indivisible principle of reality in Neoplatonism, from which all existence emanates and to which all things seek to return.

12 books · 194 mentions

Tobias

A biblical figure from the Book of Tobit, often invoked in alchemical and medical texts due to his association with the Archangel Raphael and miraculous healing.

12 books · 188 mentions

The Second Death

12 books · 165 mentions

The Tabernacle

The portable earthly dwelling place of God used by the Israelites, often used as a complex allegorical symbol in Kabbalistic and mystical texts.

12 books · 159 mentions

Textual corruption

The process by which errors are introduced into manuscripts over time through copying, a primary concern for Renaissance philologists like Poliziano and Erasmus.

12 books · 155 mentions

The Magi

Originally Zoroastrian priests of ancient Persia, later identified in Western tradition as the 'Three Wise Men' and masters of astrological wisdom.

12 books · 149 mentions

Thomas Taylor

An English translator and Neoplatonist philosopher known as 'the Platonist' for his efforts to revive ancient Greek philosophy through his extensive translations of Plato and Aristotle.

11 books · 778 mentions

Tartar

In Paracelsian medicine, a term for the stony or calcified deposits formed in the body, believed to cause various diseases. It represents the concept of impure matter precipitating from fluids, analogous to wine sediment.

11 books · 305 mentions

The Court

11 books · 246 mentions

Triplicity

In traditional astrology, a group of three zodiac signs belonging to the same element, used to determine planetary dignities and temperaments.

11 books · 236 mentions

The Book of Nature

11 books · 221 mentions

The Philosopher (Aristotle)

The title 'The Philosopher' was the standard medieval and Renaissance designation for Aristotle, whose logic and natural philosophy formed the bedrock of Scholasticism. His works remained the primary framework for understanding the physical world in the early modern period.

11 books · 218 mentions

The Physician

11 books · 200 mentions

Tarsus

An ancient city in Cilicia and the birthplace of the Apostle Paul, noted in early modern texts as a major center of Stoic philosophy and cultural intersection.

11 books · 176 mentions

The Antichrist

11 books · 175 mentions