The Mystery of Oak Island, Part 3: Swan Secrets
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Alchemical Culture and Poetry in Early Modern England
Alchemical culture and poetry in early modern England PHILIP BALL Nature, 4–6 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK There is a longstanding tradition of using alchemical imagery in poetry. It first flourished at the end of the sixteenth century, when the status of alchemy itself was revitalised in European society. Here I explain the reasons for this resurgence of the Hermetic arts, and explore how it was manifested in English culture and in particular in the literary and poetic works of the time. In 1652 the English scholar Elias Ashmole published a collection of alchemical texts called Theatrum Chymicum Britannicum, comprising ‘Several Poeticall Pieces of Our Most Famous English Philosophers’. Among the ‘chemical philosophers’ represented in the volume were the fifteenth-century alchemists Sir George Ripley and Thomas Norton – savants who, Ashmole complained, were renowned on the European continent but unduly neglected in their native country. Ashmole trained in law, but through his (second) marriage to a rich widow twenty years his senior he acquired the private means to indulge at his leisure a scholarly passion for alchemy and astrology. A Royalist by inclination, he had been forced to leave his London home during the English Civil War and had taken refuge in Oxford, the stronghold of Charles I’s forces. In 1677 he donated his impressive collection of antiquities to the University of Oxford, and the building constructed to house them became the Ashmolean, the first public museum in England. Ashmole returned to London after the civil war and began to compile the Theatrum, which was intended initially as a two-volume work. -
Oak Island Mystery
Oak Island Mystery Mars Stirhaven March 15, 2019 Mars Stirhaven Oak Island Mystery March 15, 2019 1 / 28 • I would like to thank the organizers for giving me this opportunity to present this material. • I promised one of the organizers that I would start the talk wearing the Mexican wrestling mask. • Nearly everyone here knows me and would easily recognize me before the \dramatic" reveal so... Mars Stirhaven Oak Island Mystery March 15, 2019 2 / 28 This will have to suffice... Mars Stirhaven Oak Island Mystery March 15, 2019 3 / 28 Publishing a Book • Since you know me and you know how much I hate writing up anything (except code), you're surely as surprised as I am that I wrote a book. • My Amazon Author Bio says I hate writing (which might be a first for an author) and everything I wrote was absolutely true! • I used a pen name for anonymity concerns and because not divulging my affiliations made the prepub process easier and faster. • I used the Mexican wrestling mask (won in a mathematics contest) and a Gold Bug pendant (also an award) for my Bio pics (for which Facebook has banned my Stirhaven account!). Mars Stirhaven Oak Island Mystery March 15, 2019 4 / 28 Publicizing a Result • It turns out publicizing a result is hard work{especially for someone who doesn't want to do it. • Most of the book reviews have been amazing, especially from the reddit crowd, but I just got my first scathing review. • I wanted to reply and correct all the errors in the review but goodreads, and my wife, continue to strongly suggest that authors should not respond to negative reviews. -
Agrippa's Cosmic Ladder: Building a World with Words in the De Occulta Philosophia
chapter 4 Agrippa’s Cosmic Ladder: Building a World with Words in the De Occulta Philosophia Noel Putnik In this essay I examine certain aspects of Cornelius Agrippa’s De occulta philosophia libri tres (Three Books of Occult Philosophy, 1533), one of the foun- dational works in the history of western esotericism.1 To venture on a brief examination of such a highly complex work certainly exceeds the limitations of an essay, but the problem I intend to delineate, I believe, can be captured and glimpsed in its main contours. I wish to consider the ways in which the German humanist constructs and represents a common Renaissance image of the universe in his De occulta philosophia. This image is of pivotal importance for understanding Agrippa’s peculiar worldview as it provides a conceptual framework in which he develops his multilayered and heterodox thought. In other words, I deal with Agrippa’s cosmology in the context of his magical the- ory. The main conclusion of my analysis is that Agrippa’s approach to this topic is remarkably non-visual and that his symbolism is largely of verbal nature, revealing an author predominantly concerned with the nature of discursive language and the linguistic implications of magical thinking. The De occulta philosophia is the largest, most important, and most complex among the works of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486–1535). It is a summa of practically all the esoteric doctrines and magical practices ac- cessible to the author. As is well known and discussed in scholarship, this vast and diverse amount of material is organized within a tripartite structure that corresponds to the common Neoplatonic notion of a cosmic hierarchy. -
John Dee, Willem Silvius, and the Diagrammatic Alchemy of the Monas Hieroglyphica
The Royal Typographer and the Alchemist: John Dee, Willem Silvius, and the Diagrammatic Alchemy of the Monas Hieroglyphica Stephen Clucas Birkbeck, University of London, UK Abstract: John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica (1564) was a work which involved a close collaboration between its author and his ‘singular friend’ the Antwerp printer Willem Silvius, in whose house Dee was living whilst he composed the work and saw it through the press. This article considers the reasons why Dee chose to collaborate with Silvius, and the importance of the intellectual culture – and the print trade – of the Low Countries to the development of Dee’s outlook. Dee’s Monas was probably the first alchemical work which focused exclusively on the diagrammatic representation of the alchemical process, combining diagrams, cosmological schemes and various forms of tabular grid. It is argued that in the Monas the boundaries between typography and alchemy are blurred as the diagrams ‘anatomizing’ his hieroglyphic sign (the ‘Monad’) are seen as revealing truths about alchemical substances and processes. Key words: diagram, print culture, typography, John Dee, Willem Silvius, alchemy. Why did John Dee go to Antwerp in 1564 in order to publish his recondite alchemical work, the Monas Hieroglyphica? What was it that made the Antwerp printer Willem Silvius a suitable candidate for his role as the ‘typographical parent’ of Dee’s work?1 In this paper I look at the role that Silvius played in the evolution of Dee’s most enigmatic work, and at the ways in which Silvius’s expertise in the reproduction of printed diagrams enabled Dee to make the Monas one of the first alchemical works to make systematic use of the diagram was a way of presenting information about the alchemical process. -
Historical Influence of the Rosicrucian Fraternity on Freemasonry
Historical Influence of the Rosicrucian Fraternity on Freemasonry Introduction Freemasonry has a public image that sometimes includes notions that we practice some sort of occultism, alchemy, magic rituals, that sort of thing. As Masons we know that we do no such thing. Since 1717 we have been a modern, rational, scientifically minded craft, practicing moral and theological virtues. But there is a background of occult science in Freemasonry, and it is related to the secret fraternity of the Rosicrucians. The Renaissance Heritage1 During the Italian renaissance of the 15th century, scholars rediscovered and translated classical texts of Plato, Pythagoras, and the Hermetic writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, thought to be from ancient Egypt. Over the next two centuries there was a widespread growth in Europe of various magical and spiritual practices – magic, alchemy, astrology -- based on those texts. The mysticism and magic of Jewish Cabbala was also studied from texts brought from Spain and the Muslim world. All of these magical practices had a religious aspect, in the quest for knowledge of the divine order of the universe, and Man’s place in it. The Hermetic vision of Man was of a divine soul, akin to the angels, within a material, animal body. By the 16th century every royal court in Europe had its own astrologer and some patronized alchemical studies. In England, Queen Elizabeth had Dr. John Dee (1527- 1608) as one of her advisors and her court astrologer. Dee was also an alchemist, a student of the Hermetic writings, and a skilled mathematician. He was the most prominent practitioner of Cabbala and alchemy in 16th century England. -
Chapter Ix. the Spiritual Conferences (1581-1589)
CHAPTER IX. THE SPIRITUAL CONFERENCES (1581-1589). I. The True and Faithful Relation and additional M.S. sources — Casaubon’s objects in publishing the T.F.R. in 1659 — to confute atheism and discredit enthusiasm — his view of Dee as deluded by devils. II. The conferences mark no abrupt discontinuity in Dee’s career — their conformity with his general interests and speculations — the Angelic realm a recognised topic in Natural Philosophy — Platonism and intermediate spiritual entities — sixteenth century pneumatology — belief in prevalence of spirits and their communion with men — Platonic hierarchy of spirits reflected even in conventional scale of demons — such a scale encourages view that the less malevolent and powerful may be safely dealt with or controlled — confusion of such demons with daemons and fairies — resemblance of Kelley’s “angels” to traditional fairies — Dee’s insistence that they can only be servants of God perhaps influenced by Platonic doctrines of negativity of evil — the usual orthodox condemnation of all dealings with spirits — but the doctrine that man may come consciously to associate with angels in this life a familiar feature in contemporary mystical Platonism — similarity of Kelley’s “angelic books” and the Cabalah — the frequency of crystal gazing — Dee’s own view of the conferences as the crown and seal of all his past intellectual endeavour — scrying as one of the chief parts of “experimental science” — the union of practical experience and speculative theology. III. Particular reasons for Dee’s so extensive concentration on the conferences at this date — his apocalyptic view of history — influence of the cyclical theories of Trithemius and progressive revelations through time of Joachim of Flora — Dee’s chronology — connection with astrological teachings — the doctrine of trigons governing historical and religious change — the conjunction of 1583 interpreted as indicating the birth of a new religion or the end of the world. -
Investigative Files the Secrets of Oak Island Joe Nickell
Investigative Files The Secrets of Oak Island Joe Nickell It has been the focus of "the world's longest and most expensive treasure hunt" and "one of the world's deepest and most costly archaeological digs" (O'Connor 1988, 1, 4), as well as being "Canada's best-known mystery" (Colombo 1988, 33) and indeed one of "the great mysteries of the world." It may even "represent an ancient artifact created by a past civilization of advanced capability" (Crooker 1978, 7, 190). The subject of these superlatives is a mysterious shaft on Oak Island in Nova Scotia's Mahone Bay. For some two centuries, greed, folly, and even death have attended the supposed "Money Pit" enigma. The Saga Briefly, the story is that in 1795 a young man named Daniel McInnis (or McGinnis) was roaming Oak Island when he came upon a shallow depression in the ground. Above it, hanging from the limb of a large oak was an old tackle block. McInnis returned the next day with two friends who-steeped in the local lore of pirates and treasure troves-set to work to excavate the site. They soon uncovered a layer of flagstones and, ten feet further, a tier of rotten oak logs. They proceeded another fifteen feet into what they were sure was a man-made shaft but, tired from their efforts, they decided to cease work until they could obtain assistance. However, between the skepticism and superstition of the people who lived on the mainland, they were unsuccessful. The imagined cache continued to lie dormant until early in the next century, when the trio joined with a businessman named Simeon Lynds from the town of Onslow to form a treasure-hunting consortium called the Onslow Company. -
Charlotte.Pdf
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I BIRTH AND EDUCATION Tercentenary of Dee’s death — No life of him — Persistent misunderstanding — Birth — Parentage — At Chelmsford Grammar School — St. John’s College, Cambridge — Fellow of Trinity — Theatrical enterprise — In the Low Countries — M.A. of Cambridge — Louvain University — Paris — Readings in Euclid — Correspondents abroad — Return to England. CHAPTER II IMPRISONMENT AND AUTHORSHIP Books dedicated to Edward VI. — Upton Rectory — Long Leadenham — Books dedicated to Duchess of Northumberland — Ferrys informs against his “magic” — In prison — Handed over to Bonner — At Philpot’s trial — Efforts to found a State Library — Astrology — Horoscopes — Choice of a day for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation — Introduced to her by Dudley — Sympathetic magic — Bachelor of Divinity — In Antwerp — Monas Hieroglyphica — Preface to Billingsley’s Euclid — Called a conjurer. CHAPTER III MORTLAKE Proposed benefices — Propædeumata Aphoristica — Alchemical secrets — Settled at Mortlake — Journey to Lorraine — Illness — The Queen’s attentions — Mines and hidden treasure — Wigmore Castle — Marriage — Death of first wife — Literary correspondence — John Stow — Diary commenced — The Hexameron Brytannicum — The British Complement — Slander and falsehood — A petty navy — The sea-power of Albion — Fisheries and foreign policy. CHAPTER IV JANE DEE A comet or blazing star — Second marriage — Jane Fromond — Hurried journey abroad — Berlin and Frankfort — Birth of a son — Christening — Edward Dyer — Duc d’Alencon — Michael Lock — His sons — The Queen’s visit — Sir Humphrey Gilbert at Mortlake — Adrian Gilbert — John Davis — The Queen’s Title Royall — Lord Treasurer Burleigh — Death of Dee’s mother — The Queen’s visit of condolence — Map of America — Visits to the Muscovy House — Frobisher and Hawkins — Birth of a daughter — Accident to Arthur. -
A Hint in the Oak Island Treasure Mystery 457
! : Ro.ss W ilh.elm THE SPANISH IN NOV A SCOTIA IN THE I I SIXTEENTII CENTURY-A HINT IN . ::: I . J i THE OAK ISLAND TREASURE MYSTERY I I i .; Introduction OVER THE PAsT one hundred years one of the standard pirate and treasure seeking stories has been the "Oak Island Mystery." Oak Island is in Mahone Bay, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, and is about forty-five miles from Halifax, on the Atlantic Coast. For the past 175 years various groups have been digging on the island for what is believed to be a huge buried pirate or Inca treasure. All efforts to date have been frustrated by the intrusion of unlimited amounts of sea water into the diggings. The sea water enters the "treasure" area through an elaborate system of man-made drains or tunnels, one of which is hundreds of feet long and quilt similar to a stone sewer tunnel. While the findings of the treasure hunters indicate the probable existence of some type of treasure vault on the island, the main purpose of this paper is not to document further the efforts of the treasure hunters beyond what has been set forth in DesBrisay's History of the County of Lunenburg 2 Nova Scotia\ or in Harris' book The Oak Island Mystery , or in the numerous 3 accounts of the efforts in the mass media • The purpose of this paper is to show that there is evidence that seems to indicate that an agent of Philip II of Spain, or one of the other kings of Spain in the sixteenth century, built the Oak Island installation. -
Ancestors of Bessie Cone Norton
Ancestors of Bessie Cone Norton Paul Tocci Ancestors of Bessie Cone Norton First Generation 1. Bessie Cone Norton-[2223],1 daughter of Frederick Harrison Norton-[1] and Bessie Ilean Wright-[1112], was born on 21 Mar 1914 in Tusculum, Georgia, died on 5 Oct 1971 in Baltimore (City), Maryland at age 57, and was buried on 8 Oct 1971 in Meadow Ridge Cemetery, Elkridge, MD. General Notes: Grandmom made up her own words including these below. There is no "official" spelings since they were all verbal. The spellings below are phoenetic. koogle: feces. Instead of her kids saying they had to poop, she had them say they had to koogle. Koogle was the brand name for a flavored peanut butter marketed by Kraft Foods. Kraft introduced Koogle in 1971, and discontinued it later that decade. It was available in several flavors, including chocolate , cinnamon, strawberry, vanilla and banana. fewta fanta fiola: something she would chant when she was happy calamagra: bruzzy: soft, fuzzy blanket or sweater used to keep warm goozlum: any gravy like food muzry: person or animal that has a sweet, lovable appearance (that cat has a muzry face) Bessie married Nile August Fish Sr-[2] [MRIN: 3], son of Wilson Fish-[2163] and Melissa Isabel Longmire-[2288], on 23 Apr 1929 in Effingham County, Georgia.2 Marriage Notes: 1 NOTE 1930 United States Federal Census Nile Fish 28 1901 Iowa Head White Election District 15,Baltimore, MD Bessie Fish 16 1913 WifeElection District 15, Baltimore, MD Children from this marriage were: i. Niton Dwight Fish-[113] ii. -
Roger Bacon: the Christian, the Alchemist, the Enigma
University at Albany, State University of New York Scholars Archive History Honors Program History 2019 Roger Bacon: The Christian, the Alchemist, the Enigma Victoria Tobes University at Albany, State University of New York Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/history_honors Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Tobes, Victoria, "Roger Bacon: The Christian, the Alchemist, the Enigma" (2019). History Honors Program. 12. https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/history_honors/12 This Undergraduate Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the History at Scholars Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Honors Program by an authorized administrator of Scholars Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 Roger Bacon: The Christian, the Alchemist, the Enigma By: Victoria Tobes [email protected] An honors thesis presented to the Department of History, University at Albany, State University of New York in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in History. Advisors: Dr. Patrick Nold and Dr. Mitch Aso 5/12/2019 2 ABSTRACT: This paper explores the life and work of 13th century English Franciscan friar, Roger Bacon in light of the spiritual-religious practice of alchemy. Bacon’s works in pertinence to alchemy reflect his belonging to a school of intellectual thought known as Hermeticism; which encompasses the practice of alchemy. Bacon can be placed among other philosophic practitioners of alchemy throughout history; allowing for expanded insight into the life of this medieval scholar. Throughout history, Bacon’s most well-known work, the Opus Majus, has been interpreted in a variety of ways. -
The Ground of Artes — the Monas — Alchemy; 1558-1564) I
CHAPTER VI. NUMBERS — LOGISTICAL, FORMAL AND APPLIED. (THE GROUND OF ARTES — THE MONAS — ALCHEMY; 1558-1564) I. Accession of Elizabeth — Dee taken into favour — commences period of fame and success. II. Work on binomials and other lost mathematical writings — the revision of the Ground of Artes — Recorde and Dee — their similar views and interests — the popularity of this work — a text book for self instruction from the first elements onwards — its defence of mathematics and plea for wider instruction in it — this knowledge the distinguishing criterion between men and animals (n.21) — its utility — Dee's additions to the G.A. III. Dee journeys to Continent to print his books — letter to Cecil — copies out the Steganographia — Trithemius' mysticism and magic and their influence on Dee (n.35). IV. Publication of the Monas — Dee's perpetual high regard for this work — its contemporary and subsequent fame (n.39) — contrasted with Aphorisms — its intentional obscurity — the tradition of unfolding secret wisdom as obscurely as possible — the prefatory letter to Maximilian — geometrical figures the key to natural and spiritual truth — the signs of the planets — the forms of letters of the alphabet — the striking results Dee anticipates from this study. V. Its theme and underlying assumptions — the "Monad" as God — connections with neo- Platonic doctrines — reasons for choice of this particular hieroglyph — Mercury — Aries — relations of Monas to cabalistic theory — and the later search for a real character. VI. Analysis of the text — the point and the circle — generation of planetary signs and astronomy — the cross — the semi-circle — numerology of the figure and alchemical sections — Dee's work well within an accepted tradition.