M.O.H.S. No. 3.

The Crowning of Nature

Edited with an extensive commentary by Adam McLean

[This book is now out of print]

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One of the most enigmatic of all alchemical works, the Crowning of Nature is a detailed description of the alchemical process, through a series of 67 stages which are pictured as taking place in retorts. The Crowning of Nature, which was well known in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, was never published as a printed book, but was widely circulated in manuscript form - some 40 copies have survived.
For this first edition of the work, Adam McLean has consulted seven manuscript versions, and includes an English text that accompanies some versions. The Crowning of Nature provides a link between the soul development of Alchemy and the work of the physical process, as these illustrations are descriptive of both of these realms. The set of basic symbols undergoes a metamorphosis of form and colour, through a series of cycles, that unfolds in the 67 illustrations. An introduction surveys the history and assesses the importance of the work against the background of the alchemical tradition. Adam McLean provides a commentary on the process pictured in the series of illustrations and suggests some ways in which we can approach the spiritual ideas woven into the patterns of symbolism.
Limited edition of 250 copies. 137pp. 67 illustrations (some copies were hand-coloured). A5 hardbound.