The Prophecies of Paracelsus

Translated by J.K.

[1915]

Like the better known Prophecies of Nostradamus, the Prophecies of Paracelsus are exceedingly cryptic, filled with allegorical symbols and capable of being reinterpreted for any purpose. It comes with 32 surreal woodcuts which seem to reveal additional details about each prophecy.

This short book, published in London in 1915 in the shadow of the Great War, was written anonymously (I have yet to figure out who 'J.K.' is). It wraps the 32 prophecies in introductions and interpretations by the mysterious J.K. as well as Eliphas Lévi, the French occultist--who apparently felt that this text should be left to the experts. The original J.K. edition is somewhat rare, and it was reprinted in 1974 by Weiser, although the latter is out of print.

Paracelsus, a renowned scholar who is known for his chemical and alchemical writings, may have meant this not only as a set of predictions about the path of the Reformation, but as an allegory of the evolution of the soul. This would not be surprising, as other authors of the period cloaked arcane messages in almost impenetrable layers of symbolism to escape eccelsiastical scrutiny.

Title Page
Contents
Proem
Introductory: II: On the Prophecies of Paracelsus
Introductory: III. Eliphas Lévi's Preface to the Prognostications
Introductory: IV. Strassburg Edition of the Preface to the Prognostications

The Magic Figures

The First Figure
The Second Figure
The Third Figure
The Fourth Figure
The Fifth Figure
The Sixth Figure
The Seventh Figure
The Eighth Figure
The Ninth Figure
The Tenth Figure
The Eleventh Figure
The Twelfth Figure
The Thirteenth Figure
The Fourteenth Figure
The Fifteenth Figure
The Sixteenth Figure
The Seventeenth Figure
The Eighteenth Figure
The Nineteenth Figure
The Twentieth Figure
The Twenty-First Figure
The Twenty-Second Figure
The Twenty-Third Figure
The Twenty-Fourth Figure
The Twenty-Fifth Figure
The Twenty-Sixth Figure
The Twenty-Seventh Figure
The Twenty-Eighth Figure
The Twenty-Ninth Figure
The Thirtieth Figure
The Thirty-First Figure
The Thirty-Second Figure

Conclusions

Elucidations of the Prognostications and Conclusion of Doctor Paracelsus
Another Prognostication by Theophrastus Paracelsus
Epilogue
Interpretation