Aureolus Philippus Theophrastus Paracelsus
Born 1493 - Died 1541
One
of the most enigmatic personalities ever was born in Switzerland in 1493. He was
a deeply religious, humble, God-loving man whose reason for being was to educate
the masses in natural healing, the professions, and God’s true laws and
commandments, among many other esoteric topics. His name is Theophrastus
Bombastus (Philippus Aureolus) von Hohenheim, aka Paracelsus.
His father instructed him at an early age in subjects such
as alchemy, surgery and medicine. When he was sixteen years old, Paracelsus
attended the University of Basel, but did not complete his studies. A few years
later, the Abbot Tritheim in Wurzburg initiated him into the secret sciences.
Upon the abbot’s recommendation, Paracelsus was accepted as a student in the
laboratory of the wealthy alchemist Fugger, who also taught him the secrets of
chemistry.
Paracelsus spent the next twelve years of his life
traveling and learning in Africa, Asia, Denmark, and Sweden; he also lived among
the Tartars. He learned from executioners, women, physicians, Jews and gypsies.
When he was thirty-two years of age, he returned to Germany, where, in a very
short time, he became quite famous because of his miraculous cures. In 1526 he
was hired as Professor of Medicine in Basel, where he attracted great attention
by breaking with all the old traditions. Among other things, he gave lectures in
German instead of Latin, as was the custom at that time.
The medical doctors and teachers in those days quoted
Hippocrates (460–359 B.C.), Galen (131–200 A.D.), and Avicenna (980–1037 A.D.);
Paracelsus, however, taught the sciences in a more logical and less dogmatic manner. Yet, in spite of this he was the one seen as being dogmatic and "bombastic" for his lack of conformity and blind obedience to dogma. It was not so much that he disagreed with Hippocrates, Galen and Avicenna; it was more likely what had come to be the accepted interpretations of what they had taught that was in question. He even went so far
as to take the writings of these men and openly burn them in the marketplace in
Basel, declaring them unusable. Shortly thereafter he was forced to leave, but
his reputation as an extraordinary physician kept on growing, and a few of his
students followed him on his travels throughout Germany.
In his capacity as a physician, Paracelsus had extensive
knowledge of and insight into the human body, the various ailments which
afflicted humanity, and the causes and cures for such diseases. This is clearly
recognizable (though only by seekers of truth) in his writings on medicine. As
is and has been the case for many centuries, earthly authorities have attempted
to stifle God’s truth and wisdom, albeit in vain. During Paracelsus’ colorful
life, he too was persecuted for his beliefs and capabilities as a naturalist,
and was driven out of Basel, Holland, and Nuremberg.
Paracelsus was a gifted man; otherwise his writings would
not have survived to this day. His abilities can be proven by his many cures,
which can be equaled only by a few physicians, even in this, our present-day
science.
There is an anecdote about Paracelsus which should shed
some light on his abilities and their origin. This story is twofold; in the
earthly sense, it sounds like a fairy tale, but in the spiritual sense it
reveals a long sought-after mystery.
The emperor had gout, and all the professors of medicine
failed to cure him, and they did not know how to help him. Paracelsus was then
called upon; he appeared in shabby clothes, whereupon the emperor’s servants
ordered him to wear royal raiment. But the clothes he was forced to wear were of
no value to him, and when Paracelsus was called before the emperor, he remarked
that the emperor could not be healed unless he could wear his own clothes.
Thereupon he immediately changed into his old clothes and prepared the remedy.
As soon as the emperor had taken it, Paracelsus made haste and left immediately.
It did not take long before the emperor experienced severe
pain, and felt he had not long to live. He sent his servants to find the false
physician, but to no avail, since Paracelsus went into hiding for two days.
After this he returned to see the emperor, who, in the meantime, had been
totally healed of his malady.
The emperor told Paracelsus that he was lucky he had not
been found, otherwise he would not be alive now. Paracelsus answered, "I was
well aware of that, and that is why I went into hiding. This paroxysm had to
occur; otherwise it would have been impossible to get rid of the gout."
The emperor asked Paracelsus what kind of reward he
expected. Paracelsus answered that he desired nothing more than that the emperor
himself take him in his royal carriage part of the way to his next destination.
The emperor agreed. After traveling for approximately one hour in the emperor’s
carriage, Paracelsus asked the emperor to stop the carriage, for he had been
taken far enough. Paracelsus got out of the carriage and asked the coachman to
hold the horses’ hooves. He took a bottle out of his pocket which contained a
tincture and put a drop on each hoof. Paracelsus then went on his way. Upon
arriving at his castle, the emperor noticed that the horseshoes had turned into
gold, as had the wheels of his carriage, which Paracelsus had also tinged with
the tincture. The emperor realized that he was not wealthy enough to reward
Paracelsus accordingly, since his treasury did not contain what Paracelsus’
tincture contained.
A true genius of all times, to this day Paracelsus is
unsurpassed as a visionary, astrologer, healer, and philosopher. His writings
are a must! His alchemical and philosophical spirit gave rise to many volumes on
soul purification, man’s connection with the Creator, creation, and various
other illuminating and controversial biblical interpretations.
