Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of history and mysticism. Discover the rich history of alchemy, read modernized versions of ancient legends and stories, and explore the mystical aspects of religion and magic.
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In 1561, a slim vernacular handbook rolled off a Venetian press promising “minerali, medicinali, arteficiose & alchimiche”—plus perfumes and beauty arts—“per ogni gran signora.” Its author called herself Isabella Cortese, and her book, I secreti della signora Isabella Cortese (The Secrets of Lady Isabella Cortese), taught readers how
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In the winter of the early 1700s, a small Serbian village became the stage for one of Europe’s most infamous vampire scares. The death of a soldier named Arnold Paole would spark whispers of the undead, draw the attention of Austrian military doctors, and send shockwaves across the continent.
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Alessandro Cagliostro is one of the 18th century’s great paradoxes. Born Giuseppe Balsamo in Palermo and later reborn as the “Count” Cagliostro, he moved through Europe as healer, magus, and reformer—admired by crowds, scorned by courts, and finally crushed by the Inquisition. His story is a prism: tilt
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Fairy tales have an everlasting charm, weaving fantasy and profound truths together in ways that captivate readers of all ages. One such forgotten gem, recently translated into English for modern audiences, is Fairy Tales by Friedrich Wilhelm Hackländer. Originally published in 1843 in Stuttgart, Germany, Hackländer's collection blends
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The Serbian fairy tales of the 19th century, collected by researchers such as Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, Đorđe Kojanov Stefanović, and S. Novaković, provide insight into Slavic folk mythology. Particularly fascinating are the figures of sorcerers – old men and women with supernatural abilities, depicted as wise, powerful, or divine. This analysis
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Mithraism—better called “the mysteries of Mithras,” the name ancient initiates themselves used—was a private cult that flourished across the Roman Empire from the late first century to the late fourth century CE. Because Mithraists left almost no theology in writing, we reconstruct their religion mainly from temples (mithraea)
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Zurvanism, a distinctive offshoot of Zoroastrianism, emerged and flourished during the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE). This ancient philosophy is often viewed as heretical by Zoroastrian orthodoxy, largely because it redefines the fundamental structure of the cosmos and its deities. By placing Zurvan, the hypostasis of infinite time and space, as
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Lilith, a figure shrouded in controversy, is one of the most fascinating characters in Jewish folklore, and her story continues to resonate in modern culture. Despite not appearing in the Torah's official creation narrative, Lilith has been brought to life through midrashic texts, Sumerian mythology, and even modern
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The story of Count Johann Ferdinand von Kuefstein and the spirits he allegedly captured in glass jars is one of the most intriguing tales from the 18th century. This story, first published in 1873 in "Phoenix: The Freemasonry Pocketbook," takes us deep into the mysterious practices of the
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I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Crazy Alchemist podcast! For those who have followed the website and are fascinated by stories of alchemy, mythology, the occult, and eerie folklore, this podcast is an extension of our journey into the mystical and the mysterious. The first episode dives
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Winter, 1526. In and around St. Gallen, crowds trail a young maid from Appenzell named Verena (Frena) Baumann. She preaches visions, declares herself chosen, and—according to eyewitness chronicler Johannes Kessler—at one point even calls herself Christ and speaks of bearing the Antichrist. Wherever she goes, people gather, throw
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Five centuries before Bakelite, a St. Gallen merchant‑alchemist shared a kitchen‑alchemy recipe that could turn curdled milk into a translucent, horn‑like material. A Benedictine monk later cast it into buttons and medallions and called it Kunsthorn — “artificial horn.” Meet Bartholomäus Schobinger (1500–1585): rich, restless, and obsessed