Remembering that Paracelsus lived over five centuries ago, born in the year 1493, it is understandable that his writings would be difficult to discern 500 years after his time. Many determined minds made the effort none the less. In order to facilitate the study and interpretation of the works of Paracelsus at least three of his followers made dictionaries of his terms and the words he created in order to express his meanings. Many of his words would not be found in our modern languages.
Another great source of confusion in the subjects written about by Paracelsus and others is the very atmosphere of the middle ages, the dark ages and the medieval era where persecution of those with nonconforming ideas caused these communities to write by way of cisphers, using symbols and allegories.
And in the centuries after the middle ages even up to our modern day even more confusion is added in by writings or podcasts of those who may not have all the information or resources to fully understand the subjects of the more ancient or mystical or alchemical texts. Most of these works were not in the english language and have necessarily been translated, perhaps correctly but maybe incorrectly. Sometimes our books and information get edited with key information being omited. I have found this myself by comparing original publications of books in the 1800's or 1900's to the reprints we have access to today. The dark ages still throw shade.
Point being, it takes time and patience to learn and to rule in and rule out sources of information. It is best practice and most helpful to look for the sources in things we hear or read about. Researchers site the sources of information they offer, entertainers don't.
One source will lead to another, just as one thread pulled can unravel an entire fabrication or one thread woven into another can create a visible pattern.
Most writers of true occult wisdom do not write for the general public. Those that have become known and highly regarded are utilized more as a compass than a teleprompter.
We all must learn to read the symbols of alphabet if we want to explore the words contained in the books. Learning is a process utilized to gain knowledge by our own unique experience, not information from a device or institution.
Sadly the value of reading, not just books, but people, situations, treasure maps has declined because the fiat value of media and entertainment has bought our attention and we paid for it with our intelligence.
Ultimately the book we each have been given to read is our own story. This is the biography or fiction that holds our daily attention because either the writer has learned the craft of creating in the mind first the story being written, or because the reader is completely unaware of the writer and scans the pages for answers that are not there,...yet. As a favorite poet wrote in a letter,
"...try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” Letters To A Young Poet -Rainer Maria Rilke 1875-1925
Paracelsus, in his own story, created the words he needed to write the prescriptions for remedies that did not yet exist. Imagine that. Today he is highly regarded by readers.
The explanations of terms used by Paracelsus have been documented by some who have written of his life and work. Those that I have found to be well sourced, sited, and informative get woven in to the Glossery of Terms here on this platform.
Franz Hartmann in his own work published 1896, Paracelsus and the Substance of His Teachings, tells us three disciples of Paracelsus composed dictionaries:
"To facilitate the study of the works of Paracelsus, his disciples, Gerhard Dorn, Bernhard Thurneyssen, and Martin Ruland, composed dictionaries to explain the meaning of such curious terms."
Hartmann says the one composed by Martin Ruland is most complete.., Lexicon Alchemicum, Prague 1612,
"Guilhelmus Johnson published the same under his own name at London in 1660 and it has been incorporated into the greatest collection of alchemical writings, the Bibliotecha Chymica Curiosa, by J. T Mangets (Geneva 1702). Qnother "Dictionarium Paracelsicum" was written by a certain Bailiff, and added to the Geneva publication. "
Even at the time of Hartmann's writing, 1893, he told us
But all of these books have become very rare, and can only be obtained with difficulty and at great expense,...
So in his book he offered what he called a complete list of Paracelsus' favorite terms provided for the benefite of these who may wish to read his complete works. I am guessing then, that though these lexicons and reference materials were rare, there must have been republications of the complete works of Paracelsus. Hartmann does provide a complete list of these works as well. He says that only 7 books were published during Paracelsus' lifetime and that his other works only became know publicly after his death, and with some confusion or deception regarding the authenticity of some.
"John Huser, doctor of medicine at Grossloga, undertook a critical examination of such works, on the request of the Archbishop Prince Ernst of Cologne. He collected with reat labour all the autographs of Paracelsus and the original manuscripts of his disciples, such as could be found; he put them into order, and revised and published them at Cologne in a general edition during the years 1589 and 1590.."
Then he lists thecollection of 106 books; 50 books on Medicine, 7 on Alchemy, 13 on Various Writings, 8 on Natural History and Philosophy, 25 on Magic.
Another book, published in 1951 titled PARACELSUS Selected Writings, edited by Jolande Jacobi and with a forward by Carl Jung, also contains a glossary.
In San Jose California the Rosicrucian Park research library has copies of texts that can be accessed on site and the library is accessible to the public. The AMORC also offers archives of material online.
