Clare Goodrick-Clarke
University of Exeter

The cosmic dimension of metals: Astro-chemistry and the relationship of planets to terrestrial substances

One of the most curious aspects of alchemical theory is the relationship supposed to obtain between the seven planets and the seven metals. The roots of this idea are perhaps as old as metal-working itself, but herbs and parts of the human body are also thought to have affinities with the planets. Is there evidence to support these age-old correspondences?

At the beginning of the twentieth-century, Lily Kolisko (1889-1976) used metal salts to investigated the behaviour of planetary metals during cosmological events. She was apparently able to determine distinct changes taking place during planetary conjunctions. Using her methods, Theodore Schwenk, Agnes Fyfe, and Nick Kollerstrom repeated Lily Kolisko’s experiments - which yielded some persuasive results. This talk will examine the methods and implications of these experiments.

Clare Goodrick-Clarke, Honorary Fellow, University of Exeter, teaches the history of alchemy for the MA in Western Esotericism at the Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO).  Her publications include GRS Mead and the Gnostic Quest (2005), Alchemical Medicine (2010) and The Hermetic Art of Alchemy (forthcoming, OUP). www.huss.ex.ac.uk/research/exeseso