It’s going to take a thousand wars within yourself before peace is settled. It’s going to take a lot of battle injuries from the enemy before your skin thickens.
I heard someone say that Christianity started out as Jewish heresy and over a period of decades it became a completely separate religion. I think that generalization has some merit.
Also Judaism evolved into something different as well. In some ways rabbinic Judaism didn’t settle itself and become the dominant approach of Jews until after the contours of what would become catholic Christianity were already in place. The Mishnah is from 150 CE, the Talmuds are from 400-600 CE. We’re looking at sister religions that both emerged out of the ashes of the Second Temple – not a mother and her daughter.
(Image: Engraving on titlepage of Maier, [Tripus aureus], 1618 [X])
Alchemical writers specifically, and much of the medieval occult world in general, employed various forms of imagery in order to obfuscate their writings. In some cases, this intentional misdirection is obvious to modern readers, even if what was being hidden is hotly debated. In other cases, that obfuscation isn’t so clear.
One example of the latter would be Agrippa’s formulations for Planetary Incense. There are various animal parts called for, which may aggravate the modern sensibility, but which are also based on common enough sources that the question lingers: were these intended to be taken literally?
Harold Roth, of Alchemy Works, [suggests not], and points to the Greek Magical Papyri, and the writings of some notable ancient physicians to make his case.
This is not a complete list, as can be inferred from the lack of such things as Brain of a Cat, and Blood of a Stork, but it does help shed light on the way these ancient writers thought. It also gives me hope that other lists might exist as well.
A
Adder’s Tongue: Dogstooth Violet; Plantain
Ass’s Foot: Coltsfoot
B
Bat’s Wing : Holly Leaf
Bat’s Wool : Moss
Bear’s Foot: Lady’s Mantle
Bird’s Eye: Germander, Speedwell
Blood: Elder sap or another tree sap
Blood from a Head: Lupine
Blood from a Shoulder: Bear’s Breeches
Blood of a Goose: Mulberry tree’s sap
Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon: Blood of a spotted gecko
Blood of a Snake: Hematite
Blood of an Eye: Tamarisk Gall
Blood of Ares: Purslane
Blood of Hephaistos: Wormwood
Blood of Hestia: Chamomile
Bloody Fingers: Foxglove
Blue Jay: Bay laurel
Bone of an Ibis: Buckthorn
Brains: Cherry tree gum [this phrase usually designates any fruit tree gum]
Bull’s Blood or Seed of Horus: Horehound
Bull’s Foot: Coltsfoot
Bull’s Semen: Eggs of the blister beetle
C
Calf’s Snout: Snapdragon
Capon’s Tail: Valerian.
Cat: Catnip
Cat’s Foot: Canada Snake Root and/or Ground Ivy
Clot: Great Mullein
Corpse Candles: Mullein
Cuddy’s Lungs: Great Mullein
Crocodile Dung: Ethiopian Earth
Crow Foot: Cranesbill, wild geranium, buttercup
D
Devil’s Dung: Asafoetida
Dog: Couch grass
Dog’s Mouth: Snapdragon
Dog’s Tongue: Hounds Tongue
Dove’s Foot: Wild Geranium
Dragon’s Blood: Resin of Draco palm
Dragon’s Scales: Bistort leaves
E
Eagle: Wild Garlic of Fenugreek
Ear of an Ass: Comfrey
Ears of a Goat: St. John’s Wort
Englishman’s Foot: Common Plantain
Eye of Christ: Germander, speedwell
Eye of the Day: Common daisy
Eye of the Star: Horehound
Eyes: Inner part of a blossom; Aster, Daisy, Eyebright
F
Fat from a Head: Spurge
Fingers: Cinquefoil
Five Fingers: Cinquefoil
Foot: Leaf
Frog: Cinquefoil
Frog’s Foot: Bulbous buttercup
From the Belly: Earth-apple
From the Foot: Houseleek
From the Loins: Chamomile
G
Goat’s Foot: Ash Weed
God’s Hair: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Gosling Wing: Goosegrass
Graveyard Dust: Mullein
Great Ox-eye: Ox-eye daisy
Guts: The roots and stalk of a plant
H
Hair: Dried stringy herbs; ripe male fern
Hair of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed
Hair of Venus: Maidenhair fern
Hare’s Beard: Great mullein
Hawk: Hawkweed
Hawk’s Heart: Wormwood seed or wormwood crown
Head: Flower of a plant
Heart: Walnut; bud, seed, or nut
Hind’s Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
Horse Hoof: Coltsfoot
Horse Tongue: Hart’s Tongue Fern
J
Jacob’s Staff: Great Mullein
Jupiter’s Staff: Great Mullein
K
King’s Crown: Black Haw
Kronos’ Blood: Cedar
L
Lamb: Lettuce
Lamb’s Ears: Betony
Leg: Leaf
Lion’s Hair: Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot]
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