alchemist – Dreamyoga

Whilst I was in hospital I came upon this UK TV series on Netflix. It seemed that I had already started watching it according to Netflix. I did not recall this. So I started to watch again. So far it is enjoyable.

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A Discovery of Witches is a British fantasy television series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, named after the first book in the trilogy.

Diana Bishop, a historian and reluctant witch, unexpectedly discovers a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. This discovery forces her back into the world of magic in order to unravel the secrets it holds about magical beings. She is offered help by a mysterious biochemist and vampire Matthew Clairmont. Despite a long-held mistrust between witches and vampires, they form an alliance and set out to protect the book and solve the mysteries hidden within while dodging threats from the creature world.

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Discovery of Witches is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University, as she embraces her magical blood after finding a long-thought-lost manuscript and engages in a forbidden romance with a charming vampire, Matthew Clairmont.

When Diana Bishop returns to Oxford University, her life is flipped upside down. While researching in the library, Diana requests a book called Ashmole 782. This manuscript, also known as the Book of Life, has been missing for over 150 years. As soon as Diana touches the ancient manuscript, her powers are activated. Frightened by her clear cosmic connection to Ashmole 782, Diana returns the book. It appears, however, that her discovery had already caught the attention of other creatures, which results in a series of events that slowly brings her witch heritage and family back into her life.

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Diana is cast as a young academic investigating Alchemy partly autobiographically inspired on behalf of the author. The first few episodes are very good for Oxford university tourism. The photography is top notch.

Ashmole was a founder member of The Royal Society and this is his coat of arms.

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Note Hermes bearing the golden Caduceus top right. Note also the Breton symbol around the lower central panel.

Aside from founding the Ashmolean museum he is famous for collecting things like this:

Theatrvm chemicvm britannicum : containing severall poeticall pieces of our famous English philosophers, who have written the hermetique mysteries in their owne ancient language

by Ashmole, Elias, 1617-1692; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682; Vaughan, Robert, 17th cent; Goddard, John, fl. 1645-1671

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Given where I did my Ph.D. and my interest in things witchy and Alchemy related I have found something to look into a bit while I recuperate.

A new thread to explore?

I had this dream between 7:07 and 7:30 this morning. I checked the clock on the way back from the loo and went back to bed. I was woken by the central heating clicking on at 7:30 AM.

The dream starts in the living room of a house in France. I am there with the wife. I can see the cat ferreting around on the top shelf of a bookcase. It is trying to get into a black plastic container. I get a small step on stool and reach the black plastic container taking it off the shelf. The cat is very curious and tries to get into the box and I have to shoo it away.

I take the container over to the window. There is no lid. In it I can see a small ~20cm high homuncule {homunculus}. It is curled up and seems to be dead. It looks a bit like an alien “grey”. I prod it gently with a pencil and it does not move.

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{The dream is specific homuncule in French.}

I move away from the window. The cat nearly trips me up and I spill the contents of the container onto the floor. The homuncule lands and the carpet is covered with a shiny silver-grey powder from him which glistens iridescent. The homuncule stands up and walks off to the kitchen. As it moves small mouse like turds fall from off its back. It has been asleep for a very long time. I know that he is very thirsty and is going to get some water. The cat watches but seems too startled to do anything.

I turn around and there are a few, around half a dozen, children standing behind me. They are boys and girls aged around 7 or 8. They are dressed like children in a 1950s US TV programme. The have freckles and are clean and tidy.

I ask them, “quelle langue parles-tu?”

One of the girls say, “um, English, we are from Kivingden in Kent. We have been here a long time.”

I follow the path of the homuncule towards the kitchen. I notice a new white painted metal door has appeared. The door is reminiscent of a naval door designed to prevent water ingress. It has a white metal lever clamped shut which I lift to open the door. I open it and lock the door fully open with a metal rod.

It is a kind of portal.

I can see an industrial metallic staircase spiralling down. It is painted white. The bunker below is very well lit and also painted white. I know it to be extensive and to be a nuclear shelter. I know it is well provisioned and that the homuncule has made it appear and that it is from whence the children came.

I call the wife to come and inspect.

Dream ends.

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Homuncule : Homme de taille réduite auquel les sorciers ou les alchimistes prétendaient pouvoir donner la vie.

Tag: alchemist

A Discovery of Witches – Thread

Homunculus – Homuncule – Children – Hidden Doorway Dream 25-01-24