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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Attributed to Paracelsus

Nine Books on the Nature of Things

A fresh translation from the early Latin text with annotations and study apparatus

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Nine Books on the Nature of ThingsSubject Index

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English Introduction · Branch 642 of 642

Subject Index

Book Mode

English

Subject Index

Links lead to whole books or supporting discussions. Stable passage identifiers in the reading text provide finer references across the four formats.

Air

life and spirit, elements.

Alchemy

generation, transmutation, separation.

Animals

generation, death.

Arcana

preservation, renewal.

Archaeus

formative signator.

Art

artificial generation, ripening, craft examples.

Astrum

imagination, stellar signatures.

Attribution

Composite authorship; Gantenbein.

Balsam

preservation.

Blood

generation, bodily materials.

Body

three principles, life.

Calcination

preparation, transmutation.

Chaos

elements and division.

Charcoal

craft transformation.

Corruption

putrefaction, loss of powers.

Death

definition and examples, renewal.

Dedication

Complete historical letter; experience and secrecy.

Digestion

bodily analogy, maturation.

Distillation

natural analogy, separation.

Earth

generation, growth, elements.

Elements

separation.

Experience

claims of knowledge, preparation.

Fire

metallic life, operation and testing.

Fixation

tinctures.

Generation

nature and art.

Gold

metallic transmutation.

Growth

increase and ripening.

Heat

putrefaction, growth, preparation.

Homunculus

artificial human.

Imagination

formation and inward stars.

Imbibition

rain and moistening.

Life

natural bodies, loss and alteration.

Marginal Notes

Source presentation; how to read the notes.

Matrix

generation.

Mercury

principle and spirit, preparation.

Metals

generation, life, tinctures, separation.

Moisture

putrefaction, growth.

Mortification

ending a condition.

Mummia

preservation and bodily material.

Nature

generation, transformation.

Preservation

conditions and preparations.

Putrefaction

change and generation, death.

Quintessence

prepared condition.

Resuscitation

renewal.

Salt

body and principles, separation.

Secrecy

Family transmission; the qualified reader.

Seeds

putrefaction, growth.

Separation

definition and examples.

Signatures

marks and interpretation.

Spirit

mercury, life.

Stars

inward relations, signators.

Sulphur

principle and common material, metallic life.

Tincture

properties and claims.

Transmutation

definition and craft examples.

Virtue

activity, changed powers.

About This Reading Edition

The complete supplied Latin–English edition of the historical title, dedication and all nine books, with 363 separately labelled historical marginal notes, 117 modern annotations and the complete Diotimos study apparatus. The transmitted composite work is traditionally attributed to Paracelsus; individual authorship remains qualified.

Historical Text and Translation

The normalized Latin follows the complete 1605 Frankfurt Palthenian witness, volume six, printed pages 198–271, in SUB Göttingen PPN578052199, historical scans 182–255. Earlier textual tradition is German; the individual translator of the 1605 Latin text is not identified. The dedication’s 1537 date is transmitted text, not an established date for the composite work.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The historical Latin text is in the public domain. The fresh English translation and editorial material were prepared with AI assistance for Diotimos Editions in 2026 and are published with the site owner’s authorization.