In alchemy and philosophy, prima materia, materia prima or first matter (for a philosophical exposition refer to: Prime Matter), is the ubiquitous starting material required for the alchemical magnum opus and the creation of the philosopher's stone. It is the primitive formless base of all matter similar to chaos, the quintessence or aether. Esoteric alchemists describe the prima materia using simile, and compare it to concepts like the anima mundi.
The concept of prima materia is sometimes attributed to Aristotle. [2] The earliest roots of the idea can be found in the philosophy of Anaxagoras, who described the nous in relation to chaos. Empedocles' cosmogony is also relevant. [3]
When alchemy developed in Greco-Roman Egypt on the foundations of Greek philosophy, it included the concept of prima materia as a central tenet. Mary Anne Atwood uses words attributed to Arnaldus de Villa Nova to describe the role of prima materia in the fundamental theory of alchemy: "That there abides in nature a certain pure matter, which, being discovered and brought by art to perfection, converts to itself proportionally all imperfect bodies that it touches." [4] Although descriptions of the prima materia have changed throughout history, the concept has remained central to alchemical thought.
Alchemical authors used similes to describe the universal nature of the prima materia. Arthur Edward Waite states that all alchemical writers concealed its "true name". Since the prima materia has all the qualities and properties of elementary things, the names of all kinds of things were assigned to it. [5] A similar account can be found in the Theatrum Chemicum :
They have compared the "prima materia" to everything, to male and female, to the hermaphroditic monster, to heaven and earth, to body and spirit, chaos, microcosm, and the confused mass; it contains in itself all colors and potentially all metals; there is nothing more wonderful in the world, for it begets itself, conceives itself, and gives birth to itself. [6]
Comparisons have been made to Hyle, the primal fire, Proteus, Light, and Mercury. [7] Martin Ruland the Younger lists more than fifty synonyms for the prima materia in his 1612 alchemical dictionary. His text includes justifications for the names and comparisons. He repeats that, "the philosophers have so greatly admired the Creature of God which is called the Primal Matter, especially concerning its efficacy and mystery, that they have given to it many names, and almost every possible description, for they have not known how to sufficiently praise it." [8] Waite lists an additional eighty four names.
Names assigned to the Prima Materia in Ruland's 1612 alchemical dictionary, Lexicon alchemiae sive dictionarium alchemistarum. [9]
- Microcosmos
- The Philosophical Stone
- The Eagle Stone
- Water of Life
- Venom
- Poison
- Chamber
- Spirit
- Medicine
- Heaven
- Clouds
- Nebula or Fog
- Dew
- Shade
- Moon
- Stella Signata and Lucifer
- Permanent Water
- Fiery and Burning Water
- Salt of Nitre and Saltpetre
- Lye
- Bride, Spouse, Mother, Eve
- Pure and Uncontaminated Virgin
- Milk of Virgin, or the Fig
- Boiling Milk
- Honey
- A Spiritual Blood
- Bath
- A Syrup
- Vinegar
- Lead
- Tin
- Sulphur of Nature
- Spittle of the Moon
- Ore
- The Serpent
- The Dragon
- Marble, Crystal, Glass
- Scottish Gem
- Urine
- Magnesia
- Magnet
- White Ethesia
- White Moisture
- White Smoke
- Dung
- Metallic Entity
- Mercury
- The Soul and Heaven of the Elements
- The Matter of all Forms
- Tartar of the Philosophers
- Dissolved Refuse
- The Rainbow
- Indian Gold
- Heart of the Sun
- Chaos
- Venus
- Healer
- Angel of violet light
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Arthur Edward Waite was a British poet and scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider–Waite tarot deck. As his biographer R. A. Gilbert described him, "Waite's name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of Western occultism—viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of protoscience or as the pathology of religion."
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Robert Fludd, also known as Robertus de Fluctibus, was a prominent English Paracelsian physician with both scientific and occult interests. He is remembered as an astrologer, mathematician, cosmologist, Qabalist and Rosicrucian.
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Chaos is the mythological void state preceding the creation of the universe in Greek creation myths. In Christian theology, the same term is used to refer to the gap or the abyss created by the separation of heaven and earth.
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Heinrich Khunrath, or Dr. Henricus Khunrath as he was also called, was a German physician, hermetic philosopher, and alchemist. Frances Yates considered him to be a link between the philosophy of John Dee and Rosicrucianism. His name, in the spelling "Henricus Künraht" was used as a pseudonym for the 1670 publisher of the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus of Baruch Spinoza.
In alchemy, albedo, or leucosis, is the second of the four major stages of the Magnum Opus, along with nigredo, citrinitas and rubedo. It is a Latinicized term meaning "whiteness". Following the chaos or massa confusa of the nigredo stage, the alchemist undertakes a purification in albedo, which is literally referred to as ablutio – the washing away of impurities. This phase is concerned with "bringing light and clarity to the prima materia ".
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Mary Anne Atwood was an English writer on hermeticism and spiritual alchemy.
Alchemy has had a long-standing relationship with art, seen both in alchemical texts and in mainstream entertainment. Literary alchemy appears throughout the history of English literature from Shakespeare to modern Fantasy authors. Here, characters or plot structure follow an alchemical magnum opus. In the fourteenth century, Chaucer began a trend of alchemical satire that can still be seen in recent fantasy works like those of Terry Pratchett.
Theatrum Chemicum is a compendium of early alchemical writings published in six volumes over the course of six decades. The first three volumes were published in 1602, while the final sixth volume was published in its entirety in 1661. Theatrum Chemicum remains the most comprehensive collective work on the subject of alchemy ever published in the Western world.
Martin Ruland the Younger, also known as Martinus Rulandus or Martin Rulandt, was a German physician and alchemist.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to alchemy:
Isabelle de Steiger, née Lace, was an English painter, theosophist, occultist and writer. She became a member of several esoteric societies in London, and was a close friend and co-worker of Anna Kingsford.
The Layer Quaternity are four marble sculpture figurines approximately 25 centimetres (10 in) in height located on the two columns of the Layer Monument, an early 17th-century polychrome mural monument which was installed in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, Maddermarket, Norwich to the memory of Christopher Layer (1531–1600).
