From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordWorks distinguished by their divine agency.
- In the bookMagia Metaphysica describes a lawful art through which secrets are discovered.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 31; facsimile PDF page 359.
Historical definition
Magnalia are the special works of God.
Meaning
The equivalent assigns these works to God. It does not give a list of extraordinary substances, an operation available to the artist, or a test by which a work may be recognised. The governing feature is the agency named.
Use in the book
Magia Metaphysica describes a lawful art through which secrets are discovered. Magnalia names works rather than the human means of discovering them. The distinction prevents a shared concern with hidden or exceptional things from collapsing different kinds of action.
Places to read
- MagnaliaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Magia MetaphysicaThe discovery of occult secrets explicitly placed within a lawful Christian art.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 31; facsimile PDF page 359 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 359, Magnalia