Paracelsus: Selected Writings

by Paracelsus, Jolande Jacobi

The enigmatic sixteenth-century Swiss physician and natural philosopher Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, called Paracelsus, is known for the almost superhuman energy with which he produced his innumerable writings, for his remarkable achievements in the development of science, and for his reputation as a visionary (not to mention sorcerer) and alchemist. Little is known of his biography beyond his legendary achievements, and the details of his life have been filled in over the centuries by his admirers. This richly illustrated anthology presents in modernized language a selection of the moral thought of a man who was not only a self-willed genius charged with the dynamism of an impetuous and turbulent age but also in many ways a humble seeker after truth, who deeply influenced C. G. Jung and his followers.

Genres: Philosophy, Occult, Alchemy, Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality, Mysticism

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, who published under the name Paracelsus ("greater than Celsus," a reference to the first-century Roman encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus) was a Renaissance physician, botanist, alchemist, astrologer, and occultist. He pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine, and was among the first to credibly suggest that illness was the result of the body being attacked by outside agents, rather than an imbalance of the four Hippocratic humours. However, he is today remembered more for his contributions to alchemy and his magical theories, which stood in contrast to those of Cornelius Agrippa and Nicolas Flamel.

Reviews

[sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

paracelsus haters include me & i

[actual thoth]

Went wayyy over my head, but otherwise a pretty boring book. Cannot be rated since its secrets are most likley not understood by the people who read it

[Ioseph Bonifacius (Ioannes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a fine book. Interesting, but only the surface of Paracelsus's thinking.

[Jim George · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in the 1500s by a Swiss physician, he was a bit of a mystical Christian sage. Much of what he has to say is too tripped out to wrap your brain around, while some of his insight is profound. Not the easiest book to read, nothing so insightful that your life will be changed, but still it contains some spiritual seeds of enlightenment. I like his opinions on the physicians professional role and his God given responsibilities to his patients. I equally enjoyed his synopsis on death, our preordained time, and our spiritual purpose on earth.

[Alienne Laval · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...(Angel's Trumpet) is a very dangerous plant, we advise that only used to smoke it in cigarettes against asthma, because it is a remedy that always relieves..."
- Paracelsus

[CA Ram Melam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about mystical aspects of natural cures in the medicinal discipline.