Coelum Philosophorum

What is the heaven that the philosophers seek? For the great Renaissance physician Paracelsus, it is not a distant sky but the living, unseen power that holds all nature together: the force that ripens metals in the earth, heals the sick body, and mirrors itself in the human soul. Written in the crowded, passionate language of sixteenth-century alchemy, Coelum Philosophorum guides the reader through the separation of the four elements, the three prime principles of Salt, Mercury, and Sulphur, and the preparation of the philosophers' great medicine. This faithful modern-English edition makes Paracelsus's vision startlingly fresh, inviting seekers, students of natural philosophy, and all who suspect there is more to matter than meets the eye. It is offered as a spiritual classic, for reflection rather than laboratory practice, and reminds every reader that it is educational in intent and not a substitute for medical care. Part of The World Scriptures Library.