Collectanea Chemica

What It's About

Collectanea Chemica is a compilation of alchemical treatises drawn from a manuscript belonging to Frederick Hockley, a noted collector of occult books. Waite's selections range from short pieces on the alkahest and aurum potabile to more substantial works such as Sir George Ripley's "Bosom Book," bringing together the practical and symbolic sides of the hermetic tradition in one volume.

Key Concepts

Central to the collection are the philosopher's stone, aurum potabile (drinkable gold), the alkahest (the alchemists' universal solvent), and the sophic mercury said to be essential to the Great Work. The treatises also touch on hermetic medicine, the branch of alchemy concerned with preparing remedies from mineral and metallic substances.

About the Author

Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942) was a scholar of Western esotericism who wrote extensively on occultism, mysticism, and the history of secret societies. He was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.