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Albertus Magnus
A German Dominican,
who was canonized in 1931 by
Pope Pius XI as Saint Albert the Great.
Albertus became famous for his wide-ranging
knowledge and his unwavering promotion for the peaceful coexistence between
science and religion, and is considered to be the greatest German philosopher
and theologian of the
Middle Ages.
He was both a student and
teacher of alchemy and
chemistry, and an alleged magician,
since he was repeatedly charged by some of his unfriendly contemporaries
with holding communications with the devil, practicing the craft of magic,
and with the making of a demonic automata
able to speak.
He was also one of the alchemists reputed to have succeeded in discovering
the Philosopher's Stone.
Albertus, also known as Albert of Cologne, was born at
Larvingen, on the
Danube, sometime between 1193 and 1206, and the term Magnus
is not the result of his reputation, but is the Latin equivalent of his
family name, de Groot. He died at
Cologne, the exact date being unknown
(some say 1280). His tomb is located at the crypt
of the Dominican church of St. Andreas in Cologne.
A voluminous writer, no fewer than 38 folio
volumes are attributed to him, although it is highly probable that some of these
were penned by different authors. It is noteworthy to mention that, according to
tradition, Albertus was the inventor of the pistol and the cannon, and while it
is unlikely that the credit is due to him for these achievements, the mere fact
that he was thus acknowledged points out that his scientific competence was
recognized by the men of his time. He was also known for his enlightening
commentary on the musical practice of the period, and wrote extensively on the
subject.
After an alleged encounter with the blessed Virgin, Albertus stared
espousing holy orders, and eventually won eminence in the clerical
profession, being made Bishop of Ratisbon. He held this office for
a short while, about three years, resigning it so that he might utilize all of his time doing scientific
research. He spend the reminder of his life throughout
Bavaria and the adjoining
districts, partly in retirement in the various houses of his order. Albertus
also preached the
8th Crusade in Austria, and among the last of his efforts was
the defense of the orthodoxy of his former pupil, Thomas Aquinas, whose death in
1274 greatly grieved him.
See Alchemy,
Casting Black Magic Spells,
Commanding Spirits,
The Tarot Store and
Divination & Scrying Tools and
Supplies.
Sources: (1)
Spence, Lewis,
An Encyclopedia of
Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Ephraim,
Chambers,
Cyclopaedia (An Universal
Dictionary of Arts and Sciences), Rivington et al Straham (1778).
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