Another interesting (and expensive) book from Brill:

" This book explores philosophical theories which in the Renaissance provided an interpretation of nature, of its laws and exceptions and, lastly, of man’s capacity to dominate the cosmos by way of natural magic or by magical ceremonies. It does not concentrate on the Hermetic and Neoplatonic philosophers (Ficino, Pico, Della Porta), or on the relationship between magic and the scientific revolution, but rather upon the interference of the ideas and practices of learned magicians with popular rites and also with witchcraft, a most important question for social and religious history. New definitions of magic put forward by certain unorthodox and “wandering scholastics” (Trithemius, Agrippa, Paracelsus, Bruno) will interest readers of Renaissance and Reformation texts and history."

A new book has appeared on the market from E.J. Brill. At USD 299, it's not cheap... but surely a valuable resource to those who can afford it.

"The daunting writings of Paracelsus—the second largest 16th-century body of writings in German after Luther’s—contributed to medicine, natural science, alchemy, philosophy, theology, and esoteric tradition. This volume provides a critical edition of essential writings from the authoritative 1589 Huser Paracelsus alongside new English translations and commentary on the sources and context of the full corpus. The Essential Theoretical Writings incorporate topics ranging from metaphyics, cosmology, faith, religious conflict, magic, gender, and education, to the processes of nature, disease and medication, female and male sufferings, and cures of body and soul. Properly contextualized, these treatises yield rich extracts of Renaissance and Reformation culture, soundings of 16th-century life, and keys to an influential but poorly understood early modern intellectual tradition."

Greetings everyone!

Details regarding the first lecture of our Esoteric Primer Series (Jamuary 16th, 2008; 7-9 p.m.) have been posted on our event calendar. You can also access this information here.

Ordo Magni Operis is happy to announce that our new book, The Esoteric Arts: A Primer is now available for sale at our storefront.

You can see a brief preview there as well.

After a year of silence, Ordo Magni Operis is pleased to announce the 2008 public Esoteric Primer Series!

This series will take place on successive Wednesdays, beginning January 16th, 2008 (with the exception of February 20th, which will be skipped) and will run from 7-9 p.m.

A new ezine dedicated to various aspects of Alchemy, practical, theoretical, and spiritual, has been launched, and it first issue has just been published!

From the front page:
"Up to the present, the concept and connotation of Alchemy has undergone a divergence of perception, while steadfast groups and individuals preserve the traditional principles. In one direction this divergence leads to complete ridicule of a pursuit having the sole intent of transmuting Lead into Gold; in the other is a nostalgic appropriation of the term, often in a commercial appellation for a product having seeming magical qualities or capabilities.

Here are a few alchemy links which may be of interest to some:

The Alchemy Guild: "The INTERNATIONAL ALCHEMY GUILD (IAG) is a group of alchemists from around the world who come together to exchange views, news, and research in the Hermetic arts and all forms of practical and spiritual alchemy."

An alchemical colleague has kindly pointed me to a nice piece of free downloadable software which may be of interest:

Lunabar, available here, offers a lunar almanac, a solar almanac, and various other items of interest.

4th Annual UW SUNDANCe Pow Wow:

"Celebrating Communities"

There's No Place Like Home. There's No Place Like Home. There's No Place Like Home....

Friday September 28 7-8pm SLC

Saturday September 29 12-7pm St. Paul's College

Cuneiform Cuisine: Culinary History Reborn at Brown University

Alice L. Slotsky

See here

Babylonian food has come a long way since Jean Bottéro, doyen of the cuneiform recipe tablets in the Yale Babylonian Collection, pronounced it fit for only his worst enemies. This year at Brown University, one hundred twenty-two ravenous diners grazed on fare cooked from these recipes with exclamations of amazement and satisfaction. What's more, for many of them, this event was not their first Mesopotamian culinary experience, as this academic year marked the eighth annual Cuneiform Cuisine party at Brown. What had originally been conceived of as a reception for the devoted students of my ever-popular Akkadian courses had now grown to include other members across the Brown community as well as other skeptical guests eager for a blast of gastronomic originality.