"On Longevity" - Anti-aging According
to Paracelsus
Anti-aging is a head-line which could not be dismissed
neither in medicine nor in the field of wellness. But even Paracelsus
investigated ways to prolong life and to maintain health back in
his time. This includes simple advise for leading a healthy lifestyle
as well as certain medicinal plants and a very special life-elixir
to strengthen the "inner Light".
By Ulrich Arndt
"It is not against nature to live for the renewal of the
world. It is only beyond our comprehension which we are mostly
deprived
of", Paracelsus claimed boldly and railed against the doctors
of his time: "No one should be astonished and no doctor
shall change his colour upon the fact that life can be prolonged."1
Of course Paracelsus polemicises here. But the true essence in
his claim lies namely in his discovery of life-prolonging methods
and formulas which remain a sensation until this day:
" We can prolong our life with remedies which are suitable" he ensures
and expresses very concisely: The alchemical essence "Flos sectae Croae
(meaning croci, a safran-essence) empowers to the person applying it an age of
one hundred years in minimum". Other single remedies such as the gold-essence "Aurum
Potabile" and the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, "may by their strengthening
powers provide the potential for man to live up to the age of 120 or even 140
years". And even more effective is a very special arcanum which he called “preparation
of a long life” or „Tinctura de longe vita“.
This recipe, although, was handed down encoded and the “Anti-Aging”-remedy
of Paracelsus was therefore thought to be “lost”. Four years ago,
after the rediscovery of Paracelsus’ original “Aurum Potabile”-essence
is was possible to unveil the secret. For the first time since many centuries
the highest life-elixir of Paracelsus, “Tinctura de longe vita” is
now again available to everybody.
Causes for Premature Aging
The possibilities to maintain youth and even rejuvenation
were very important issues for Paracelsus, thus the great medico
and
alchemist could also be called
a ”pioneer of anti-aging”. Of course, the remedies produced alchemically
were in the main focus of his life-prolonging methods. However, he also tried
to fathom out which natural influences can prolong life. “When we describe
the teachings of a long life, it should be known that certain regions, countries,
towns, and valleys, are more healthy and beneficial for long life than others,
since there is more joy, more pleasure, and more humores for life. At the same
time some causes of the earth, elements, winds and of the heavenly body should
be understood.” So conditions of environment may prolong life if they, “send
mild and friendly influences”, or may shorten it if they consume the life-energy
due to hard conditions. Therefore not everybody is able to reach the same age,
because the prevailing influences in life are too different.
Influence in the way of living: Paracelsus differenciates three ages, and in
each of them outer circumstances can cause premature aging.
In youth, the “first age”, man can be “weakened in the womb,
in the cradle, and whilst growing”. The particular reasons for this are “unorderly
eating and drinking” i. e. improper diet and too much work. “Thereby
nature becomes so weak that it will loose its power and will not be able to reach
the adequate human age”, Paracelsus emphasizes. In this case the age can
not be stretched as far as with others. Besides, they would need larger amounts
of vitalizing elixirs in order to reach a comparable life-prolonging effect.
|
The components of the decoded recipe of
Paracelsus’ life-elixir “ad longe vita”:
celandine |
Even though Paracelsus was surely referring to children when
he addressed malnutricition and undernourishment as well as hard
labour, his advice should be followed. Today this refers to malnutrition
and too much sugar, fat and protein and not enough exercise outdoors,
which weaken the child’s organism. This has become apparent
in the increasing number of children who are overweight by far,
uncoordinated, and have attention deficit disorders. The early
loss of hair in young men and infertility are signs of a chronic
hyperacidity due to malnutrition, and indicate a fundamental weakening
of the organism.
In the second age period of life which stretches from the end of the growth
period to when the hair turns grey, and in the following third age period,
the most important influence is the way of living. “Drunkenness, an unorderly
life-style and wilful destruction” are the cause of man’s premature
ageing according to Paracelsus. ”To reach longevity the best way of living
is a moderate diet” warns the alchemic medico and he explains further: “We
can become ill because of our daily food, but we may also be strengthened by
food and maintain health, depending on how and what we use.”
Without doubt this simple hint requires a great measure of self-discipline
in our affluent society nowadays, which is related to an overabundant supply
of food and semi-luxury food. In this respect we indulge like the “Lords
and the rulers”: their “unseemly life … their high spirits
brought about their downfall of life … The bodies take on sicknesses
because of an unorderly life.“
But even those who live healthy “can be robbed of their life by coincidence,
by plague and abscesses …” – they may die early due to an
infectious disease. To fight all of these weaknesses and dangers Paracelsus
found effective help in his life-prolonging concept.
Relief: He who wants to live a long life, must naturally first change his morbid
way of living. Secondly possible acute sicknesses should be cured. Here one
should use the specific remedies depending on the illness, which are coverd
in detail by Paracelsus in other books/works. The chronical sufferings, however,
which are due to the above mentioned bad habits of life and diet, are removed
so to speak as a “side-effect” by the regular intake of a small
amount of his life elixir, called “de longe vita”. With this specific
medicine casual sicknesses may as well be prevented, referring to all infections
in the broader sense. Since this essence is able to balance earlier sins related
to the way of life as well as bad environmental influences, this remedy has
the greatest value for prolonging life according to Paracelsus: “It should
be considered that everything we allude for life style and regions is the least,
because by these only the fewest treatments can provoke the prolongation of
life. A comfortable order and support is only contained in the remedy itself.”
The Influence of the stars and temperaments: Often in his works Paracelsus
elucidates the negative effects of the stars on our health. The “four
complexiones and humores”, the four elements, juices, and levels of constitutions
of man may be influenced in a disturbing way due to certain constellations
of the planets. However, man is not exposed without protection: “It is
not with our willpower that we may acquire Jupiter, and get rid of Mars. Neither
are we able to choose other stars which we feel comfortable and pleased with.
However, with herbs we may do so; … But it is within our power to make
use of their impact (the effect of the planets) with a remedy that accordingly
affects us.“
Relief: So Paracelsus gives advice to balance the forces of the planets which
could weaken our health according to the personal birth chart, with the help
of herbs, gems or metals assigned to them. For this an alchemic essence can
be prepared or the respective gem can be worn preventively as a ring.
Nevertheless the influences do not play a central role in the prolongation
of life: “Do not be surprised that the four complexiones are disrespected,
for the preservation of the entire body related to a prolongation of life is
not to be found in the complexiones – no matter if these are appropriate
or not, or present in too much or too little. It lies in nature alone from
which everything else shall originate …”
According to Paracelsus the harmonization of inbalance in man is not the most
important thing to be considered for the prolongation of life. Foremost the
life force should be strengthened in general: "For the same force from
which the humores emerge contains the formula for longevity which should not
be minded in any way." Related to the correlation of complexiones, humores,
and life-energy he explains: "Too much sorrow or too much joy grow inside
and come from those things which emerge from the four humores such as the complexiones,
characteristics etc. However, one should know that no special remedy should
be given, but rather the life-spirit preserved, so that the other four humores
of life are protected … The body and all that lies within it, is then
healthy and well." And in another passage he adds: "The complexiones
or characteristics shall not be renewed or to be cleaned. Neither should one
consider the damage of liver or spleen, because the preservation (here he refers
to his elixir of life prolongation "ad longe vita") heals such damages
and removes any kind of sorrows, and any excess in the body. Everything is
brought to a equal commingling.”
Strengthening the Life-Energy
Thus according to Paracelsus the main element of anti-aging and
life-prolongation is an increase of general life-energy. But what
is this "life-spirit" which nourishes and regulates all
other processes and how can it be strengthened?
Paracelsus does not mean the strength which one can gain "from a meal
of vegetables or meat", for "life is not born out of material seeds
but comes spiritually from within …"
Nevertheless the life-force is not to be understood any differently than a
fire. Because the more wood there is, the more it burns. This is how it is
with life; the more humores there are, the more life-spirit there is to life.“ Although
life-energy is not gained by normal eating respectively from material food
(“the material seed“), it would nevertheless be “dumb, not
to believe that life just like fire lies within our control.“ Life-energy
may very well be influenced and strengthened. “It is only our mistake
that we do not recognize the wood from which we can light our life in the same
way we may light a fire.“ There are then substances which may supply
us directly with this “life-fire“: “Remember that not only
the evil is created for our body …, but the good as well, which so strongly
protects our life … like gold and melissa“. Almost casually Paracelsus
mentions here two of his most advanced essences, which are both contained in
his life-elixir: The gold-essence “Aurum Potabile“ and the quintessence
of melissa.
|
The components of the decoded recipe of
Paracelsus’ life-elixir “ad longe vita”:
melissa |
According to Paracelsus the source of life is generally included
in all things. Each plant, each metal, and each gem holds another
nuance of the universal life-energy. In the laboratory the aim
of practical alchemical work is to release this light from the
substances and to make it available in form of essences. At the
same time Paracelsus qualifies that only those who are very well
trained in the art of alchemy may find these substances and process
them into a true life-giving essence. Only they may fully gain
the “essentia“ from herbs, metals, and gems, namely
their “essence“ in which the “light of life“ is
preserved: These highest remedies of alchemy, which are called
High Arcana, “are only found by great artists (referring
to the “art“ of alchemical processing). They are unknown
to common doctors and remain hidden.“ The high alchemic processing
of substances is only possible due to specific solvents, the so
called “secret fires“ such as the “philosophical
mercury“.2 Elixirs, only in this way produced, such as the
gold-essence and the life-elixir “ad longe vita“, come
into effect in two ways:
-
Firstly they support detoxification and stimulate the main
organs and -functions of the body. Thereby they improve the existing
flow of vitality in man overall.
-
Secondarily they directly supply us with additional life-energy.
While the first effect can also be reached by usual good herbal
compounds, the direct supply of life energy is a result of alchemic
processing of substances. Today this additional life-energy can
even be measured: By measuring meridian-energy (and Prognos-equipment)
the energetic level and distribution can be determined. Also, possible
changes after the use of drugs and substances can be ascertained.
Normally in such “drug-tests“, the meridians which
are responsible for general regulation and the vegetative nervous
system mainly react (lung-, heart-circulation-meridian and triple-heater).
Whereas for instance with the intake of the gold-essence “Aurum
Potabile“ it is completely different. Not only does the energetic
level generally increase in all meridians, but at the same time
the energy level of the meridian pair bladder and kidney increases
above average. According to Chinese medicine exactly these two
meridians apply for Chi-production and Chi-storage, namely the
degree of life-energy. As previously mentioned, according to Paracelsus
the gold-essence “Aurum Potabile“ may provide for an
age of 120 to 140 – in deed increases very purposefully life-energy.
The Life-Elixir “ad longe vita“
According to Paracelsus, the art of prolonging life is to find
and alchemically process exactly those substances which correspond
to the quality of human vitality: “Life of man is nothing
else than an astral balm, a soothing effect, a celestial and invisible
fire, encircled air and a penetrating salty-spirit.“
Such substances which come the closest to these qualities are included in the
legendary recipe of his life-elixir “ad longe vita“ – though
he partly gave them to us only with encoded names, he called them: “Florum
Sectarum, Foliorum Daurae, Essentiarum Auri, Perlarum, Quintae Essentiae Croci,
Chelidoniae, Melissae“. What these precisely consist of was recently
decoded by the German alchemist Achim Stockardt, a re-discoverer of Paracelsus’ gold-essence:
They are the High Arcana, namely the highest alchemical development and essences
from gold, pearl, safran, Christmas rose, celandine, balm and hay flower. “The
virtue of the announced things surpass all our virtues. They are more noble
in the most modest virtue than we are in the highest“, Paracelsus raves
and adds: “This essentia, which enters the body, mixes with the humores
of life, for they blend well together. They contain the life-spirit like the
four humores … So two humores come together which correspond. They are
blended together and the inner (that of the human being) receives the nature
of the outer. Then there is only one thing, a unification which can not be
separated.“
Depending on the way the human organism is attacked, the supplemented life-energy
by the elixir, however, is more or less rapidly consumed, and must then be
supplied again. Again the intake should take place on a weekly basis, every
third day or even daily, depending on the age, earlier damages to the body,
the way of life and environmental influences. But from the day the intake is
started on a regular basis, “the age will be counted in a new way“.
For optimal success the intake should be continued regularly. This way the
source of life can be rebuilt and increased again; the organism can be purified,
vitalized and protected. “All our comfort is based on the remedy, which
not only maintains youth of man, but also of animals. This great essentia which
is contained in natural things is excellent for the body. It lights a virtue
in the body so that neither strength nor manliness is missing.“ And further
Paracelsus explains: “Man will not be struck by disease, for the essence
does not let anything decay … Also, it will not let anything grow unnecessarily
(e. g. ulcers), and therefore no diseases of superabundance … It defends
the body in such a way that the attacking sicknesses can not gain a foothold …“
Even in spite of all these effects which are very amazing, the alchemical doctor
does not consider his life-elixir a remedy. For him it is far more a universal
and energetic strengthener. It is an elixir which in itself strengthens the
flame of light in man. Namely such strength, which arises from our own spiritual
core. For Paracelsus it was simply the “Light of Nature“.
|
The components of the decoded recipe of
Paracelsus’ life-elixir “ad longe vita”: saffron |
1 from: “Buch über das Lange Leben“ (Book
about a long life), Paracelsus: Sämtliche Werke vol. III,
p. 101, Aschner Ausgabe (edition); all further quotations can
be found on the following pages as well
2 for production see the article “’As Above so Below’: The
Production Process of the High Arcana and their Power to Change” in Paracelsus – Health & Healing
issue no. 10/I
References
Arndt, Ulrich: Schätze der Alchemie: Edelstein-Essenzen, and Schätze
der Alchemie: Metall-Essenzen. Both: Freiburg/Germany: Hans-Nietsch-Verlag
Testreports of Paracelsus essences:: www.life-testinstitut.de und www.edelstein-essenzen.de
Bildquellen: ©qay / www.pixelio.de, ©Kirstin Jungmann / www.pixelio.de, ©Ulrich Arndt
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