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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · English Edition

Gerhard Dorn and John French

A Chymical Dictionary

An Expanded Diotimos Lexicon of Paracelsian and Alchemical Language

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A Chymical DictionarySuccubus

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English Edition · Branch 656 of 740

Succubus

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A Chymical Dictionary

p. 656

Succubus

Spirits celestial influences and signs · A Chymical Dictionary

At a Glance

The word. A night spirit associated with a deceptive sexual encounter.

In the book. Compare Syphita stricta, a fantastic spirit associated with sleepwalkers, and Somnia, stellar operations during sleep.

A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371.

Historical Definition

Succubus is a nocturnal spirit by which men are deceived into thinking they are coupling with women.

Meaning

The definition describes an experience as deception caused by a spirit. Thinking is important: the sentence attributes the apparent encounter to a mistaken belief, rather than simply describing an ordinary human relationship.

Use in the Book

Compare Syphita stricta, a fantastic spirit associated with sleepwalkers, and Somnia, stellar operations during sleep. These entries place nocturnal experiences in different explanatory categories.

Places to Read

Somnia. Dreams explained through stellar operations in the sleeper.

Syphita stricta. A spirit associated with sleepwalking.

In This Edition

The description is presented as the dictionary’s account of a spirit. The article does not use it to diagnose the experiences of a modern reader.

Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Succubus; 1650 facsimile PDF p. 371; compare Somnia, Syphita stricta

See also. Somnia; Syphita stricta

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About This Reading Edition

The complete 706 historical definitions of the 1650 English dictionary, modernised and accompanied by expanded Diotimos commentary, reading routes, 15 textual notes and complete linked indexes.

Historical Text

A Chymicall Dictionary, London 1650, English version associated with John French, based on Gerhard Dorn’s Dictionarium Theophrasti Paracelsi. The containing volume also prints Sendivogius and Paracelsus; neither neighboring work changes this dictionary’s attribution.

About This Edition

Complete 706 definition paragraphs with new introduction, commentary, reading guides and indexes; Diotimos Editions, 2026.

Rights

The historical 1650 English text is in the public domain. New introduction, commentary, reading guides and indexes are © 2026 Diotimos Editions and published with the site owner’s authorization.