Speaker 1: You see, something's going to happen. What's going to happen? What?
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Occult Rejects. Today we will be discussing
Speaker 1: Robert Flood. He's definitely one of my favorite alchemists and
Speaker 1: a very influential one as well. He has influenced alchemy
Speaker 1: in science and is known for his elaborate, detailed engravings
Speaker 1: that you will be able to see on the video
Speaker 1: presentation if you decide to watch instead of listening on audio.
Speaker 1: One of the reasons I also wanted to talk about
Speaker 1: this man is because he does discuss the brain, eyes
Speaker 1: and blood, and I'm sure you all know I am
Speaker 1: a fan of that, and in this episode you will
Speaker 1: be getting just myself. So this should be interesting. And
Speaker 1: now we are going to get right into it. Who
Speaker 1: was Robert Flood? Robert Flood was an English Paracelsian physician
Speaker 1: who lived from January seventeenth, fifteen seventy four to September eighth,
Speaker 1: sixteen thirty seven that delved into both science and the occult.
Speaker 1: His main interests were astrology, mathematics, cosmology, Kabbalah and Rosicrucianism.
Speaker 1: He was born at Millgate House in Bearstead, Kent. He
Speaker 1: was the son of Sir Thomas Flood, a prominent governmental
Speaker 1: official who served as Queen Elizabeth the First's Treasurer for
Speaker 1: War in Europe and Member of Parliament. His mother, Elizabeth
Speaker 1: Andrews Flood, played a huge role in his upbringing. He
Speaker 1: entered Saint John's College, Oxford as a commoner in fifteen
Speaker 1: ninety one and then got a BA in fifteen ninety
Speaker 1: seven and a MA in fifteen ninety eight. It's worth
Speaker 1: mentioning that Saint John's College in Oxford was among the
Speaker 1: few in England that offered a fellowship in medicine. During
Speaker 1: his tenure at the college, the medical fellow in residence
Speaker 1: was Matthew Gwine, known for his tract indicating familiarity with
Speaker 1: both Galenic and Paracelsian medical practices. It's possible that Flood
Speaker 1: may have come across Gwine or his writings during his
Speaker 1: time in Oxford, and possibly influencing his medical philosophy and approach.
Speaker 1: Between fifteen ninety eight and sixteen oh four, Flood focused
Speaker 1: on the study of medicine, chemistry, and hermeticism as he
Speaker 1: pursued his education across the European Maisland. After his graduation.
Speaker 1: There isn't too much known about his travels, but he
Speaker 1: does recall spending a winter in the Pyrenees studying theogy
Speaker 1: and the practice of rituals alongside the Jesuits. He also
Speaker 1: hints at traveling through Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Upon
Speaker 1: returning to England in sixteen oh four, Robert Flood enrolled
Speaker 1: at Christ Church in Oxford. His purpose was to pursue
Speaker 1: a degree in medicine, a path that demanded an understanding
Speaker 1: of the required medical literature, which included the works of
Speaker 1: Galen and Hippocrates. Flood presented and defended three theses based
Speaker 1: on these texts before making his supplication on May fourteenth,
Speaker 1: sixteen oh five. This led to his successful graduation with
Speaker 1: both MB and MD degrees on May sixteenth, sixteen oh five.
Speaker 1: After graduating from Christ Church, Flood moved to London, where
Speaker 1: he settled in French Church Street. He made repeated attempts
Speaker 1: to get into the College of Physicians, but had difficulties
Speaker 1: with the examiners due to his open dislike for traditional
Speaker 1: medical authorities and his adoption of Paracelsus views. Also his
Speaker 1: attitude towards ancient authorities such as Galen also contributed to
Speaker 1: being denied. Despite at least six failed attempts, Flood finally
Speaker 1: succeeded in gaining admission in September sixteen o nine. Despite
Speaker 1: all the failed attempts, he did well in his career,
Speaker 1: holding the esteemed position of Censor of the College on
Speaker 1: four occasions in sixteen eighteen, sixteen twenty seven, sixteen thirty
Speaker 1: three and sixteen thirty four. In sixteen fourteen he took
Speaker 1: part in the College's inspection of the law London Apothecaries
Speaker 1: and played a major role in crafting the this is
Speaker 1: a hard one Pharmacopeia londi neensis something like that in
Speaker 1: sixteen eighteen, which was the first standard list of medicines
Speaker 1: in their ingredients in England. Kind of impressive. It would
Speaker 1: have been impressive if I knew how to say that correctly.
Speaker 1: Both his career and his standing in the College took
Speaker 1: a turn for the better. He was on good terms
Speaker 1: with Sir William Patty and his support for the theory of
Speaker 1: the circulation of the blood proposed by the college's William Harvey.
Speaker 1: A little quick thing on William Harvey. William Harvey was
Speaker 1: an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology.
Speaker 1: He was the first known physician to describe completely and
Speaker 1: in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being
Speaker 1: pumped to the brain and the rest of the body
Speaker 1: by the heart, though earlier writers such as Rialdo Colombo,
Speaker 1: Michael Cervettus, and Jacques de Bois had provided precursors of
Speaker 1: the theory. He was appointed as Physician Extraordinary to King
Speaker 1: James the First on the third of February sixteen eighteen.
Speaker 1: And now, Sir William Patty. If you have listened to
Speaker 1: older shows in the past, we have also mentioned William Patty.
Speaker 1: In the Michael Myers series. We mentioned William Michael's first
Speaker 1: known book, first well known book, arcana Arcanissima, was originally
Speaker 1: dedicated to the head of the Royal College of Physicians
Speaker 1: at that time, and it was William Patty. I just
Speaker 1: wanted to add that now back to Roberton. While he
Speaker 1: followed Paracelsus in his medical views rather than the ancient authorities,
Speaker 1: he was also a believer that real wisdom was to
Speaker 1: be found in the natural magicians. His view of these
Speaker 1: mystical ideas was inclined towards the great mathematicians, and he believed,
Speaker 1: like Pythagoras and his followers, that numbers contain access to
Speaker 1: great hidden secrets, certainly in religion, he argued, could be
Speaker 1: discovered only through serious study of numbers and ratios. This
Speaker 1: perspective later brought Flood into conflict with Johannes Kepler, highlighting
Speaker 1: the profound impact of his unconventional beliefs. And now we
Speaker 1: will spend some time discussing Robert Flood's medical practices and beliefs.
Speaker 1: Robert Flood blended traditional practices with innovative ideas rooted in
Speaker 1: mysticism and alchemy, and he was also a strong advocate
Speaker 1: of Paracelsian principles and ideas. This was a departure from
Speaker 1: the dominant Galenic medical theories of his time. He believed
Speaker 1: in the transformative power of alchemy, not just for turning
Speaker 1: base metals into gold, but also so for healing the
Speaker 1: human body. Flood saw the body as a microcosm of
Speaker 1: the universe, and he sought to align its elements with
Speaker 1: the microcosmic order for health and well being. Flood's medical
Speaker 1: philosophy integrated physical, spiritual, and cosmic elements. He believed that
Speaker 1: healing required addressing not just the body, but also the
Speaker 1: soul and its connection to the divine. His medical practice
Speaker 1: relied on prayer and the Hebrew name of Jesus, which
Speaker 1: he believed held magical power. He associated Jesus with the
Speaker 1: angel Metatron, the world's soul, equating Metatron with the Hermetic
Speaker 1: anima Monday or anthropose. Flood argued that the first manifestation
Speaker 1: of the Godhead in Jewish Kabbalah Hakma Chokma wisdom, is
Speaker 1: the same as the second person of the Christian Trinity,
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, the verbum of the Word from the Gospel
Speaker 1: of John. This word connects to the Hebrew letter alph
Speaker 1: flood concepts of divine, creative and healing forces were illustrated
Speaker 1: through interiscening cones or pyramids. The pyramidus formalice represent divine
Speaker 1: light from the imperium, while the pyramidus materialists points up
Speaker 1: from the earth. He termed these diagrams Pyramidus Lucius, claiming
Speaker 1: innovation despite their roots in ancient theory. Within the cones intersection,
Speaker 1: Flood positioned the sun to balance spirit and matter, male
Speaker 1: and female, sulfur and mercury. Flood's medical theories emphasize the
Speaker 1: importance of aerial nitrate, or a Quintin's sentence for health.
Speaker 1: This celestial light, originating from the sun was inhaled in
Speaker 1: and transfer formed into vital spirit by the heart. In
Speaker 1: his work Tractus de Tritico, Flood described distilling aerial nitra
Speaker 1: from wheat using the Sun's heat and light, claiming it
Speaker 1: was a universal panacea. His account linked the healing properties
Speaker 1: of bread to transsubstantiation, suggesting that this panacea resembled the
Speaker 1: body and blood of Christ. He describes the production of
Speaker 1: this chemical and the Tractatus d tritico that is, tractate
Speaker 1: on wheat. Yeah. He describes the production of this chemical
Speaker 1: in the first part of a longer work, the autonomy Amphitheorem.
Speaker 1: The elexir, a now chemical equivalent of human blood, is
Speaker 1: derived from wheat's red oil and symbolizes Christ's body and blood.
Speaker 1: The Sun is vital in Flood's process, channeling celestial virtues
Speaker 1: into the distilled wheat spirit, which mirrors the properties of
Speaker 1: the sun and gold. Initially, a white liquid forms during
Speaker 1: this distillation, turning red in sunlight due to fiery nitrate,
Speaker 1: creating a universal panacea. Flood's ideas may have been influenced
Speaker 1: by Boehme, who suggests Christ is present in the Eucharist
Speaker 1: as the Sun is in vegetation. The communion miracle is
Speaker 1: an alchemical transformation by nature's spiritual forces, with wine likened
Speaker 1: to the tincture. Flood asserts the sun serves as Christ's altar,
Speaker 1: embodying the Anima Monday as the angel Metatron. Robert Flood
Speaker 1: was also a man who prescribed to the holistic approach
Speaker 1: as a means of treatment as well. Much of Flood's
Speaker 1: writing and his pathology of disease centered around the sympathies
Speaker 1: found in nature between man, the terrestrial Earth, and the divine,
Speaker 1: while Paracelsian in nature. Flood's own theory on the origin
Speaker 1: of all things posited that instead of the tree or prima,
Speaker 1: all species and things stem from first dark chaos, then
Speaker 1: divine light, which acted upon the chaos, which finally brought
Speaker 1: forth the waters. The last element was also called the
Speaker 1: spirit of the Lord, and it made up the passive
Speaker 1: matter of all other substances, including all secondary elements, in
Speaker 1: all four qualities of the ancients. The Flooding Tripotartite theory
Speaker 1: concluded that Paracelsius's own conception of the three primaries principles sulfur, salt,
Speaker 1: and mercury eventually derived from chaos and light, interacting to
Speaker 1: create variations of the waters or spirit. The trinitarian division
Speaker 1: holds importance as it serves as a reflection of a
Speaker 1: mystical framework for understanding biology. Robert Flood heavily drew from Scripture,
Speaker 1: where the number three symbolized the principum for Mariam with
Speaker 1: the original form as well as the Holy Trinity. This
Speaker 1: association made the number three a representation of the perfect body,
Speaker 1: mirroring the concept of the Trinity. Thus, this framework allowed
Speaker 1: for the connection of man and earth with the infinity
Speaker 1: of God, forstering a universal bond of sympathy and composition
Speaker 1: among all things. As a hermetodist, Robert Flood had a
Speaker 1: fascination with the elements. His examination of the first Chapter
Speaker 1: of Genesis led him to identify darkness, light, and water
Speaker 1: as the sole true elements, relegating the traditional four elements
Speaker 1: of Aristotle and the three principles of Paracelsus to his
Speaker 1: secondary status. He drew parallels between heat and cold with
Speaker 1: light and darkness, using a graduated thermoscope to demonstrate their
Speaker 1: effects and seemingly provide visual confirmation on the doctrine of
Speaker 1: expansion and contraction. Now, when it comes to spiritual and
Speaker 1: mystical views and beliefs, there are a lot of places
Speaker 1: Flood drew inspiration from. Robert Flood was heavily influenced by
Speaker 1: a variety of intellectual and spiritual traditions. The most significant
Speaker 1: influence on his work is generally considered to be Paracelsus.
Speaker 1: Paracelsus emphasizes on the unity of the spiritual and material worlds,
Speaker 1: as well as his blend of alchemy, astrology, and mysticism
Speaker 1: resonated strongly with Flood. This is evident in Flood's major
Speaker 1: work such as Eutriusque Cosmistoria The History of Two Worlds,
Speaker 1: where he explores the relationship between the divine, the cosmos,
Speaker 1: and humanity, ideas echo Paracelsian thought. Other people known to
Speaker 1: influence Flood or Cornelius Agrippa, a German cultist and author
Speaker 1: of Dia Culta Philosophia The Three Books of the Occult.
Speaker 1: Gripper's work shares similarities with Floods, particularly in the esoteric views,
Speaker 1: and some scholars view Flood as a successor to a
Speaker 1: gripper's tradition. Another influence Marsilio Ficino, an Italian philosopher who
Speaker 1: revived the Platonism and translated the Hermetic Corpus and helped
Speaker 1: shape Renaissance mysticism and neoplatonism. Flood's hierarchical view of the
Speaker 1: universe and interest in Hermeticism suggests Ficino's influence. Another one
Speaker 1: would be Pico della Mirandola, a Christian cabalist influenced Floods
Speaker 1: incorporation and Cabbalistic concepts like the Tree of Life. However,
Speaker 1: Pico's work is more narrowly focused than the broad Medico
Speaker 1: philosophical framework Florida adopted from Paracelsus. Flood also drew heavily
Speaker 1: from the Hermetic tradition, particularly the Corpus Hermeticum, which blended Neoplatonism, mysticism,
Speaker 1: and esoteric knowledge. This tradition reinforced his belief in a
Speaker 1: hidden divine order underlying the universe. Flood is often associated
Speaker 1: with early Rosicrucian movement as well, and while it's debated
Speaker 1: whether he was a member the Rosicrucian manifestos like the
Speaker 1: Farma Fratunadis shares his interest in esoteric wisdom, alchemy, and
Speaker 1: spiritual transformation through figures like Platinus. Flood adopted ideas about
Speaker 1: the emanation of the divine into the material world, which
Speaker 1: influenced his hierarchical view of existence. As a devout Christian,
Speaker 1: Flood integrated biblical themes and Cabbalistic ideas into his work,
Speaker 1: seeing his philosophy as a way to glorify God's creation.
Speaker 1: Flood's engagement with the Rosicrucian movement, which he defended in
Speaker 1: works like Tractycus Apologeticus, points to influence from its manifestos,
Speaker 1: possibly linked to figures like Johann Valentine Andre. However, the
Speaker 1: Rosicrucians themselves drew from earlier traditions, including Paracelsus, reinforcing his prominence.
Speaker 1: Flood's Roman Catholic influence in alchemy has gone unnoticed by
Speaker 1: scholars until recently, particularly following Albrech's examination of John Down's
Speaker 1: Catholic Alchemy, which introduces Roman Catholic elements in English alchemy.
Speaker 1: Albert analyzes Marian imagery in Don's poetry, but offers a
Speaker 1: suggestive rather than definitive argument. There has been at least
Speaker 1: one visual reference identified to Marian Catholic doctrine in Flood's work.
Speaker 1: In Eutriski Cosmi Historia, a notable engraving depicts a naked
Speaker 1: woman amidst cosmic spheres. Titled Integra nature speculum are tisk Imago,
Speaker 1: Flood describes her as nature, a version governing the sub
Speaker 1: lunar world, connected by a chain to the imperium, where
Speaker 1: the tetragrammaton yadhey Vadey shines. The virgin in Flood's image
Speaker 1: represents the soul of the world, the animal Monday, who
Speaker 1: influences the stars and nourishes all things. The sun rests
Speaker 1: on her breast, with a crescent moon on her belly,
Speaker 1: and her loose hair resembles that of an unmarried girl.
Speaker 1: The twelve star halo, particularly one hidden behind her hair,
Speaker 1: along with the crescent moon, connects her to marry as
Speaker 1: the immaculate conception. These attributes derived from Revelation twelve's depiction
Speaker 1: of the apoctylyptic woman, a woman clothed with the sun
Speaker 1: with the moon under her feet in a garland of
Speaker 1: twelve stars. Flood draws an alchemical analogy the unbold child
Speaker 1: of the apocalyptic woman. Referring to the mercurial spirit in
Speaker 1: the virgin's womb and noting that her heart gives light
Speaker 1: to the stars. The mercurial spirit, the spirit of the moon,
Speaker 1: is sent from her womb to the earth to create life.
Speaker 1: As Catholic dogma teaches that the second person of the Trinity,
Speaker 1: the Son later Jesus, was the creator of the universe.
Speaker 1: Flood's Virgin stands with her right foot on the earth
Speaker 1: and left foot in water, symbolizing the alchemical union of
Speaker 1: sulfur and mercury. The connection equates Flood's natura with the
Speaker 1: Catholic doctrine to marry, a mediator between heaven and earth,
Speaker 1: embodying both human and divine after death. Flood's Virgin, adapted
Speaker 1: to a line with our chemical theories, reflects the medieval
Speaker 1: imagery of Eve, as Mary is conce the second Eve.
Speaker 1: In the Tractus Theological Philosophicus, he describes the virgin Psyche
Speaker 1: daughter of Nature, as a pure bride and a tabernacle
Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, mirroring attributes of the Virgin Mary.
Speaker 1: She is depicted adorned with divine light and as the
Speaker 1: minister of life embodying the Holy Trinity. Catholic doctrine, Mary
Speaker 1: is seen as the bride of the Trinity and her
Speaker 1: coronation in heaven. Now, for a quick moment, we will
Speaker 1: discuss the Flood's concepts on nature. Flood's nature concept includes
Speaker 1: two worlds, macrocosm and microcosm, with three regions each. He
Speaker 1: designed two opposing pyramids. The material one rises from cold, dark,
Speaker 1: dense space, while the formal one descends from hot, light
Speaker 1: sparse space. The middle region when a light equals darkness
Speaker 1: form equals matter is this sphere of equality, the Sun's
Speaker 1: orbital sphere and divine seat from which stars derive their essence,
Speaker 1: akin to how numbers arise from unity. Flood aimed to
Speaker 1: create a basic mathematical physics within his model of nature,
Speaker 1: using mechanical analogies as proofs. He believed all motion starts
Speaker 1: beyond the heavens, illustrated by a wheel's easier rotation at
Speaker 1: its periphery than its center. His weather glass apparatus showcased
Speaker 1: opposite's interaction, functioning contrary to common thermometers and barometers. Flood
Speaker 1: hoped his metaphysical ideas, like the two pyramids would align
Speaker 1: with empirical findings. He envisioned a grand, divine nature encompassing
Speaker 1: all knowledge, though he underestimated the public pushback his views
Speaker 1: would encounter. In Declarato brevis to James First, Flood explains
Speaker 1: his intentions. The true philosophy commonly thought as of knew,
Speaker 1: would destroy the old in the head, the sum the foundation,
Speaker 1: and the embraser of all disciplines, science and arts. It
Speaker 1: will diligently investigate heaven and Earth, and will sufficiently, by
Speaker 1: its images, explore, examine, and depict man who is unique.
Speaker 1: It is sufficiently obvious that my opinions are not new,
Speaker 1: but rather are the most evident, exploitations and most clear
Speaker 1: demonstrations of the secrets of nature which have been concealed
Speaker 1: or hidden by the ancient philosophers under the guise of
Speaker 1: allegorical riddles and enigmas. And now we will talk about
Speaker 1: music a little bit. When it came to music, Robert
Speaker 1: made significant contributions to the understanding of music as a
Speaker 1: cosmic and metaphysical force. He viewed music as a bridge
Speaker 1: between the earthly and the divine, reflecting the harmony of
Speaker 1: the universe. His works, such as The Temple of Music
Speaker 1: explored the relationship between musical notes, ratios, and the Pythagorean scale,
Speaker 1: emphasizing their connection to universal order and human existence. Flood's
Speaker 1: illustrations and writings often depicted music as a tool for
Speaker 1: understanding the cosmos, blending science, philosophy, and art. His ideas
Speaker 1: influenced the way music was perceived in the context of
Speaker 1: spirituality and the natural world during this time. Flood's theories
Speaker 1: about music were deeply intertwined with his mystical and philosophical worldview.
Speaker 1: He believed that music was a reflection of the cosmic
Speaker 1: order and a means to understand the harmony of the universe.
Speaker 1: A hero Like some of his main ideas the macrocosm
Speaker 1: of the microcosm, Floods saw music as a bridge between
Speaker 1: the macrocosm, the universe, and the microcosm, the human soul.
Speaker 1: He believed that the harmony in music mirrored the divine
Speaker 1: harmony of the cosmos. He also had musical ratios and
Speaker 1: Pythagorean influence. He emphasized the importance of mathematical ratios in music,
Speaker 1: drawing from Pythagorean principles. These ratios, according to Flood, were
Speaker 1: not just mathematical, but also spiritual, representing the underlying order
Speaker 1: of creation. In his work The Temple of Music, Flood
Speaker 1: explored the idea that music could be a tool for
Speaker 1: spiritual enlightenment and healing. He linked musical notes and scales
Speaker 1: to celestial movements and divine principles. With the music of
Speaker 1: the Spheres, Flood embraced the ancient idea of the music
Speaker 1: of the spheres, where celestial bodies like planets and stars
Speaker 1: were believed to produce harmonious sounds as they moved through
Speaker 1: the heavens. He saw music as a reflection of the
Speaker 1: divine cosmic harmony. Flood incorporated alchemical and hermetic principles into
Speaker 1: his view of music. He believed that music held the
Speaker 1: power to transform and elevate the soul, much like alchemy
Speaker 1: sought to transform based metals into gold. Flood also used
Speaker 1: symbolic representations to explain his theories. For instance, he depicted
Speaker 1: musical instruments as metaphors for the human body and soul,
Speaker 1: suggesting that playing music was akin to tuning's one inner being.
Speaker 1: Flood's ideas were a blend of science, mysticism, and art,
Speaker 1: making him a unique figure in the history of music theory.
Speaker 1: The core components of Robert Flood's theories about music reflect
Speaker 1: his unique fusion of mysticism, philosophy, and science. Music for
Speaker 1: Flood was not only artistic, but also a tool for
Speaker 1: elevating the soul and connecting with the divine. He considered
Speaker 1: it a means of spiritual healing and self discovery. Flood's
Speaker 1: theories on music did stand out for their mystical and
Speaker 1: metaphysical approach, which con trusts with the more scientific or
Speaker 1: practical perspectives of other music theories of his time. And
Speaker 1: here here are a few comparisons Flood verse Johannes Kepler.
Speaker 1: While Flood emphasized the symbolic and natural aspects of music,
Speaker 1: Kepler focused on the mathematical and astronomy astronomical connections, particularly
Speaker 1: in his Harmonius Mundai Harmony of the World. Kepler's work
Speaker 1: was way more grounded empirical observation, where Floods leaned heavily
Speaker 1: on mysticism and symbolism. Then we have Flood vers Marin Mercine. Mercine,
Speaker 1: often called the father of acoustics, approached music from a
Speaker 1: scientific and experimental perspective. He studied sound waves, resonance, and
Speaker 1: the physics of musical instruments. Flood, on the other hand,
Speaker 1: viewed music as a reflection of divine harmony and cosmic order,
Speaker 1: prioritizing its metaphysical significance over its physical properties. Both Flood
Speaker 1: and Pythagoras saw music as a bridge between the earthly
Speaker 1: and the divine. However, Pythagoras focused on the mathematical ratios
Speaker 1: in music and their universal implications, while Flood expanded this
Speaker 1: idea into a broader mystical framework, incorporating alchemy and hermetic philosophy.
Speaker 1: Flood's unique blend of mysticism, symbolism, and music theory set
Speaker 1: him apart from his contemporaries, making his work a fascinating
Speaker 1: study in the intersection of art, science, and spirituality. In
Speaker 1: this part of the presentation, we'll get into some of
Speaker 1: the books he authored in specific views and research he
Speaker 1: is known for and maybe isn't known for by most people.
Speaker 1: Flood authored multi volume encyclopedias covering topics like alchemy, astrology, cabbalism,
Speaker 1: and divination alongside theology, linking God with nature and humanity.
Speaker 1: He showcased practice knowledge in areas such as mechanics, architecture,
Speaker 1: military strategies, hydrology, music theory, mathematics, and medicine. His notoriety
Speaker 1: grew with apologia in sixteen sixteen, an early defense of
Speaker 1: the anonymous Rosicrucian manifestos, which remains debated regarding their origin
Speaker 1: and authorship. The Rosicrucians, whose existence has not been proven,
Speaker 1: were supported by notable Protestant reformers like Johann Valentine Andrea.
Speaker 1: Of the followers included practitioners of Hermes Trismegistus, along with
Speaker 1: ideas from Cornelius, Agrippa, and Paracelsus, all loosely labeled as Rosicrucians.
Speaker 1: Flood's cosmology reworks Paracelsian alchemy. In his History of the
Speaker 1: Two Worlds, he illustrated the universe's origins, showing how God,
Speaker 1: like an alchemist, separated materials from chaos. His cosmos is
Speaker 1: structured by Paracelsus' three principles light, darkness, and water, which
Speaker 1: generated three elements primary materia salt from darkness, soul, sulfur
Speaker 1: from light, and spirit mercury from water. These elements produced
Speaker 1: four qualities heat, cold, dryness, and moisteness. Floods medical writings
Speaker 1: include Anatoma Amphetetrum Medicina Catholica, Philosophia Sacra Clavis, Philosophia, Philosophia Moysaca.
Speaker 1: I even said those correctly. Now we will get into
Speaker 1: specific books he wrote and what he was talking about
Speaker 1: in them, And again just a reminder, in the video
Speaker 1: version of this presentation, there will be pages of these
Speaker 1: books to see as I talk about them. Now. First one,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna just say what the name is translated to English.
Speaker 1: The Metaphysical, physical, and technical History of the two Worlds,
Speaker 1: namely the Greater and the Lesser. In this book, he
Speaker 1: explores the relationship between the microcosm, the greater world and
Speaker 1: the universe, and the microcosm, the lesser world, and the
Speaker 1: human being. The text is divided into two main sections,
Speaker 1: the macrocosmic section, which addresses the structure and workings of
Speaker 1: the universe. The microcosmic section, which examines the human being
Speaker 1: as a reflection of the cosmic order. The macrocosmic section
Speaker 1: the universe as a divine system. In that part of
Speaker 1: the book, Flood presents his vision of the universe as
Speaker 1: a divinely ordered system. He describes the cosmos as an
Speaker 1: interconnected web of celestial bodies and natural phenomena governed by
Speaker 1: his series of correspondences and harmonies. This world view draws
Speaker 1: heavily on ancient and medieval sources, including Plato and Aristotle
Speaker 1: for their philosophical frameworks, and the Hermetic Corpus for its
Speaker 1: esoteric insights into the unity of all things. Central to
Speaker 1: Flood's cosmology is the concept of the anima mundi or
Speaker 1: world soul, which he views as the vital animating force
Speaker 1: that permeates and sustains the universe. According to Flood, the
Speaker 1: cosmos is not a chaotic or mechanical entity, but a living,
Speaker 1: purposeful creation unified by divine principles. This section emphasizes the
Speaker 1: interpedience of all creation with every element, from stars to
Speaker 1: earthly phenomena, and it reflects a grand harmonious design. In
Speaker 1: the Microcosmic section, the Human as a Cosmic Mirror, This
Speaker 1: part shifts focus to the human being, whom Flood sees
Speaker 1: as a microcosmic reflection of the macrocosm. Here he explores
Speaker 1: the body soul in spirit, drawing parallels between human anatomy
Speaker 1: and the larger cosmic order. Flood delves into anatomy and physiology,
Speaker 1: describing the physical body psychologically he examines the workings of
Speaker 1: the mind and soul, and Flood's work is supported by
Speaker 1: several key ideas spiritual moral purity. He asserts that true
Speaker 1: knowledge rises from alignings oneself with the divine order, emphasizing
Speaker 1: the importance of inner transformation over mere intellectual pursuit. Flood
Speaker 1: critiques the emerging empirical approaches of his time, advocating instead
Speaker 1: for an integrated approach that blends science, philosophy, and spirituality.
Speaker 1: He uses a lot of visual metaphors. The engravings depicting
Speaker 1: the cosmos, human anatomy, al chemical processes, and mystical symbols
Speaker 1: are very important to his argument, serving as tools to
Speaker 1: unlock deeper meanings. Flood's philosophy reflects his belief and interconnectedness
Speaker 1: of all things, challenging readers to see the boundaries between
Speaker 1: disciplines as artificial and limiting publishing. During the seventeenth century,
Speaker 1: Eutresque cosme emerged in a period of intellectual transition as
Speaker 1: the scientific Revolution began to favor empirical and mathematical methods
Speaker 1: over mystical traditions. Even then, Flood still positions himself as
Speaker 1: a defender of esoteric knowledge and the next book that
Speaker 1: we will get into that translates over into English as
Speaker 1: Sacred and Truly Christian Philosophy or Cosmic Meteorology. This book
Speaker 1: consists of three hundred and three pages, preceded by an
Speaker 1: eight page preliminary section, and includes a folded plate, an
Speaker 1: engraved title page, illustrations, and a portrait, likely of Flood himself.
Speaker 1: The book is dedicated to John Williams, the Bishop of Lincoln,
Speaker 1: a notable figure in the English Church during Flood's time.
Speaker 1: This dedication highlights the works theological intent, suggesting that Floods
Speaker 1: sought to align his philosophical explorations with Christian orthodoxy, presenting
Speaker 1: his ideas as a blend of faith and reason. Dedicated
Speaker 1: to John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, the book underscores its
Speaker 1: Christian foundation, aiming to reconcile mystical philosophy with orthodox faith.
Speaker 1: Flood argues that understanding the cosmos deepens one comprehension of
Speaker 1: God's will, offering a synthesis of reason and spirituality that
Speaker 1: challenges the thought of his error. Accompanied by detailed engravings,
Speaker 1: that text visually represents these ideas, using symbolism and imagery
Speaker 1: to illustrate the relationship between God, the universe, and humanity.
Speaker 1: And now we get to anaptomai amphitheater, which translates roughly
Speaker 1: to the amphitheater of anatomy designed with triple imagery in
Speaker 1: various manners and conditions. This book is part of Flood's
Speaker 1: broader philosophical project linked to his History of the Two Worlds,
Speaker 1: which explores the microcosm and macrocosm. Anatomai Amphitheaterum primarily focuses
Speaker 1: on the microcosm, dissecting the human body through empirical and
Speaker 1: symbolic lenses. A significant portion of the book is devoted
Speaker 1: to anatomi mystica, where Flood interprets the body through an
Speaker 1: esoteric framework. He views the human body as a microcosm,
Speaker 1: mirroring the macrocosm of the universe. As an example, he
Speaker 1: associates the heart with the Sun and the brain with
Speaker 1: the moon, drawing parallels between bodily organs and celestial bodies.
Speaker 1: This reflects his hermetic belief in the unity of old creation.
Speaker 1: In this book, you will see Flood's medical philosophy the
Speaker 1: concept of aerial nitre, a vital substance he believed was
Speaker 1: extracted from the air and carried by the blood originating
Speaker 1: from the sun, and this spirit was the source of
Speaker 1: life and health. In this book he elaborates on how
Speaker 1: this vital spirit circulates through the body, offering a mystical
Speaker 1: precursor to the modern discovery of blood circulation, which Flood
Speaker 1: connected to the work of his contemporary William Harvey. An
Speaker 1: interesting section called the Monochord of the World's Symphony explores
Speaker 1: the harmony of the cosmos. Flood believed the universe was
Speaker 1: structured like a musical monochord, with mathematical ratios covering both
Speaker 1: music and natural phenomena, a concept he applies to the
Speaker 1: body as well. This book also serves as a platform
Speaker 1: for Flood to defend his ideas against critics, notably Johannes Kepler.
Speaker 1: Kepler had criticized Flood's reliance on mysticism and allegory, advocating
Speaker 1: a more rigorous mathematical approach to understanding the cosmos, and
Speaker 1: this book Flood counters these critiques, arguing that true knowledge
Speaker 1: of nature requires both empirical observation and spiritual insight. This
Speaker 1: debate underscores the tension between mysticism and the emerging scientific
Speaker 1: revolution of the seventeenth century. Overall, this book is a beautiful,
Speaker 1: illustrated exploration of human anatomy that goes beyond conventional medical
Speaker 1: texts of its time. Robert Flood presents the body as
Speaker 1: a microcosm of the universe, integrating principles. His theories, such
Speaker 1: as circulation of the vital spirit, reflect a blend of
Speaker 1: early modern science and esoteric thought. This book stands as
Speaker 1: a bridge between medieval mysticism and scientific revolution, showcasing the
Speaker 1: intellectual thinking of the Renaissance. It remains as a testament
Speaker 1: to Flood's ambition to unify the material and the metaphysical
Speaker 1: in his quest to understand the mysteries of existence. And
Speaker 1: now on to a book on music called d Musica
Speaker 1: Mundana from sixteen eighteen. Robert Flood's The Musica Mondana is
Speaker 1: a section within his larger work The History of the
Speaker 1: Two Worlds, and is an illustrated exploration of the ancient
Speaker 1: concept of the music of the spheres. Flood uses this
Speaker 1: book to present the universe as a harmonious system governed
Speaker 1: by musical principles, drawing heavily on Pythagorean and Platonic traditions,
Speaker 1: with engravings and metaphorical discourse. He connects the mathematical ratios
Speaker 1: of music to the structure of the cosmos and the
Speaker 1: human body, emphasizing the spiritual significance of this universal harmony.
Speaker 1: This book is a treatise exploring the microcosm and the microcosm,
Speaker 1: specifically focusing on the music of the macrocosm. Delving into
Speaker 1: how the universe operates as a harmonious entity, Flood tries
Speaker 1: to demonstrate the interconnectedness of all things, influenced by hermetic
Speaker 1: and now chemical traditions prevalent during the Renaissance. In this book,
Speaker 1: Flood also characterizes music into three distinct types music mundana
Speaker 1: cosmic music, Musica humana human music, and musica instrumentalists instrumental music.
Speaker 1: In this book, Flood also speaks on the Pythagorean idea
Speaker 1: that the planets and celestial bodies produce a form of
Speaker 1: music through their movements. He theorizes that distances between these
Speaker 1: bodies correspond to musical intervals such as octaves, fifths, or thirds,
Speaker 1: creating a celestial symphony. This music is not audible to
Speaker 1: the human ears, but represents a metaphysical harmony that underlies
Speaker 1: the order of the cosmos. Flood describes the universe as
Speaker 1: a great instrument played by God, with each celestial sphere
Speaker 1: contributing to the overall harmony. He also explores the idea
Speaker 1: of the monochord as a metaphor, a key element in
Speaker 1: Flood's exposition. In the monochord, a single stringed instrument historically
Speaker 1: used to demonstrate musical intervals, Flood employs it as a
Speaker 1: metaphor for the universe, portraying the cosmos as a divinely
Speaker 1: tuned instrument, the celestial spheres aligned with specific notes or
Speaker 1: intervals along the cosmic monochord, reflecting the mathematical ratios that
Speaker 1: define both music and the structure of the universe. Flood
Speaker 1: extends the concept of musical harmony to the human body,
Speaker 1: viewing it as a microcosmic reflection of the macrocosm. He
Speaker 1: suggests that just as the universe operates according to harmonic principles,
Speaker 1: so does the body, with its organs and systems corresponding
Speaker 1: to celestial bodies or musical tones. This idea ties into
Speaker 1: the medical background, implying that health and well being depend
Speaker 1: on an alignment with cosmic music, a balance disrupted by
Speaker 1: disease or disarmony. Unlike his contemporary Johannes Kepler, who analyzed
Speaker 1: the harmony of the spheres through the mathematical and astronomical lenses,
Speaker 1: Flood emphasizes its spiritual and mystical significance. He argues that
Speaker 1: understanding the universe requires more than empirical observation. It demands
Speaker 1: an appreciation of its divine and symbolic nature. For Flood,
Speaker 1: the music of the spheres is a manifestation of God's
Speaker 1: creative power, and contemplating this harmony offers the pathway to
Speaker 1: connect with the sacred. In d Musica mundana, Robert Flood
Speaker 1: presents the universe as a divinely orchestrated symphony where the
Speaker 1: movements of the celestial bodies create a harmonious music rooted
Speaker 1: in mathematical position. Using this monochord as a central metaphor,
Speaker 1: he illustrates how the cosmos is tuned by God, with
Speaker 1: each part contributing to universal harmony that extends to the
Speaker 1: human body as a microcosm. Through symbolic illustration and philosophical discourse,
Speaker 1: Flood connects the structure of the cosmos to human experience,
Speaker 1: suggesting that the harmony reveals the divine order of creation
Speaker 1: and finally, for the last book I will be discussing
Speaker 1: we come to Integrum Moborum Mysterium from sixteen thirty one.
Speaker 1: Robert Flood's Integram Morborum Mysterium is a significant work in
Speaker 1: the realm of medicine and the occult, forming part of
Speaker 1: his extensive series Medicina Catholica. This comprehensive text is divided
Speaker 1: into several sections, each delving into various aspects of medical
Speaker 1: knowledge and mystical philosophy. This book begins with an exploration
Speaker 1: of the nature of diseases, where Flood discusses the origins
Speaker 1: and causes of illness. He integrates traditional medical knowledge with
Speaker 1: his own theories, emphasizing the influence of the celestial bodies
Speaker 1: and alchemical principles on human health. In the diagnostic section,
Speaker 1: Flood outlines various methods for identifying illness. He combines conventional
Speaker 1: techniques with his unique insights, proposing that the alignment of
Speaker 1: stars and planets could affect a person health. This section
Speaker 1: is notable for its detailed illustrations, which depict the human
Speaker 1: body and its connection to the cosmos. The treatment section
Speaker 1: of the book is particularly intriguing, as Flood offers a
Speaker 1: blend of traditional remedies and alchemical practices. He describes the
Speaker 1: preparation of various medical concoctions, drawing on his extensive knowledge
Speaker 1: of herbs, minerals, and other natural substances. Flood's approach to
Speaker 1: treatment is holistic, considering not only the physical symptoms, but
Speaker 1: also the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of the patient. Throughout
Speaker 1: this book, Flood's unique approach to medicine is evident. He
Speaker 1: seamlessly blends scientific observation with mystical and philosophical insights, creating
Speaker 1: a work that is both informative and thought provoking. The
Speaker 1: detailed illustrations and comprehensive coverage of topics make this book
Speaker 1: a valuable resource for those interested in the history of
Speaker 1: medicine and interplay between science and the occult. Now, before
Speaker 1: we get into my favorite part of the presentation, the eyes,
Speaker 1: the brain, and blood, we will quickly discuss some inventions
Speaker 1: he is known for. Flood is often credited with one
Speaker 1: of the earliest attempts to describe a perpetual motion machine.
Speaker 1: His design involved a water wheel and an Archimedean screw
Speaker 1: which was supposed to pump water back into its own
Speaker 1: supply tank, theoretically allowing it to run indefinitely. The water
Speaker 1: wheel would be turned by water flowing over it, generating
Speaker 1: mechanical energy to screw. This device would then pump the
Speaker 1: water back up to the top of the wheel, allowing
Speaker 1: it to flow over the wheel again. The idea was
Speaker 1: that the water would continuously cycle through the system, keeping
Speaker 1: the wheel in perpetual motion and generating endless energy. However,
Speaker 1: such machines are impossible according to the laws of thermodynamics,
Speaker 1: and then we have the thermoscope. Flood also contributed to
Speaker 1: development of the thermometer. In sixteen thirty eight, he published
Speaker 1: a design for the thermoscope, which included a scale, making
Speaker 1: one of the earliest forms of a thermometer. Flood's thermoscope
Speaker 1: was a simple device that could measure temperature changes. It
Speaker 1: consisted of a glass tube with a bulb at one end,
Speaker 1: partially filled with air and water. As the temperature increased,
Speaker 1: the air in the bulb expanded, causing the water level
Speaker 1: in the tube to rise. Conversely, when the temperature decreased,
Speaker 1: the air contracted and the water level fell. This device
Speaker 1: was significant because it laid the groundwork for the development
Speaker 1: of more accurate thermometers in the future. Flood's work in
Speaker 1: this area was part of his broader interest in the
Speaker 1: natural world and the interplay between light, heat, and other
Speaker 1: natural forces. And now onto the eyes. Robert Flood's thoughts
Speaker 1: about the eye had deeply embedded in his cosmological philosophical framework,
Speaker 1: which blends mysticism, alchemy, and Renaissance science. Flood saw the
Speaker 1: eye as a profound symbol of perception, the vine connection
Speaker 1: in the interplay between the material and spiritual worlds. His
Speaker 1: ideas about the eye are scattered across his works, especially
Speaker 1: in the History of Two Worlds, where he explores the
Speaker 1: relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm. Flood was heavily
Speaker 1: influenced by the Paracelsian and Hermetic concept that the human
Speaker 1: body mirrors the greater cosmos. In this view, the eye
Speaker 1: held special significance as a window linking the soul to
Speaker 1: the external world. He believed the eye reflected the divine order,
Speaker 1: with its structure and function paralleling celestial phenomena. For Flood,
Speaker 1: the eye's ability to perceive light connected it to the Sun,
Speaker 1: which he saw as a symbol of God's illuminating presence
Speaker 1: in the universe. This idea aligns with his neoplatonic learnings,
Speaker 1: where light represents the vine emanation descending into the material realm.
Speaker 1: Flood distinguished between physical sight and spiritual perception. The physical eye,
Speaker 1: he argued, captures the visible world, but true understanding comes
Speaker 1: from an inner eye of the mind or soul. This
Speaker 1: concept draws from mystical traditions, including Christian theology and Kabbalah,
Speaker 1: where the eye symbolizes wisdom and divine vision. In his diagrams,
Speaker 1: elaborate symbolic illustrations often depict the eye as a conduit
Speaker 1: for higher knowledge, suggesting that perception transcends mere sensory input
Speaker 1: to encompass spiritual truths. As a physician, Flood also approached
Speaker 1: the eye from a practical standpoint. Influenced by Paracelsian medicine,
Speaker 1: he viewed the eye's anatomy, its humors, lens, and retina,
Speaker 1: as evidence of divine craftsmanship. In his writings, he sometimes
Speaker 1: links the eye's fluid like, deventurous and accuous humors to
Speaker 1: alchemical principles such as the balance of elements earth, air, fire, water,
Speaker 1: or the transformative power of light. This reflects his tendency
Speaker 1: to fuse scientific observation with metaphysical interpretation, seeing the eye
Speaker 1: as a microcosm of both bodily and cosmic harmony. Flood's
Speaker 1: visual works provide further insight into his thoughts in the
Speaker 1: history of the two worlds. He includes intricate engravings that
Speaker 1: often feature eyes with cosmological schemes. For example, an eye
Speaker 1: might appear at the apex of a pyramid or within
Speaker 1: a circle, symbolizing God's omnipresent gaze or the soul's perception
Speaker 1: of the divine. These images underscore his belief that the
Speaker 1: eye bridges the human and the infinite, serving as a
Speaker 1: point of unity between two realms. Flood's idea about the
Speaker 1: eye were not developed in isolation. They are influenced by
Speaker 1: earlier thinkers like Marsilo Ficino, who linked sight to the
Speaker 1: soul's ascent towards the divine, and Paracelsus, who saw bodily
Speaker 1: organs as imbued with spiritual significance. Flood's contemporary debates, such
Speaker 1: as his clash with Johannes Kepler over the nature of vision,
Speaker 1: highlight his preference for esoteric over empirical explanations, where Kepler
Speaker 1: analyzed the eye mechanics, Flood emphasized its metaphysical purpose. Kepler
Speaker 1: favored mathematical optics, while Flood leaned toward mystical symbolism. In
Speaker 1: Flood's thinking, the eye was far more than a biological tool.
Speaker 1: It was a symbol of cosmic unity, a gateway to
Speaker 1: spiritual insight, and a testament to divine design. He saw
Speaker 1: it as both a physical organ reflecting the universe's structure,
Speaker 1: and mystical instrument through which humanity could apprehend higher truths.
Speaker 1: This dual perspective encapsulates his broader philosophy, a synthesis of science, mysticism, theology,
Speaker 1: where every part of creation, including the eye, reveals the
Speaker 1: grandeur of the divine plan. Robert Flood's eye diagrams are
Speaker 1: a fascinating aspect of his work, reflecting his unique blend
Speaker 1: of mysticism, science, and Renaissance artistry. While Flood didn't focus
Speaker 1: solely on the eye in the way a modern anatomis might,
Speaker 1: his diagrams often incorporated the eye symbolically within his broader
Speaker 1: cosmological and philosophical illustrations. They appear primarily in his magnum opus,
Speaker 1: The History of the Two Worlds, published in parts between
Speaker 1: sixteen seventeen and sixteen twenty one. Flood's diagrams are not
Speaker 1: straightforward anatomical sketches like those of Andreas Vasilius or Leonardo
Speaker 1: da Vinci. Instead, they are elaborate symbolic engravings designed to
Speaker 1: emphasize metaphysical truths. Flood used visual art to illustrate the
Speaker 1: unity of the macrocosm and the microcosm. The eye, as
Speaker 1: a key organ of perception, naturally found its place in
Speaker 1: these schemes. Though it's rarely isolated, Flood embedded it within
Speaker 1: larger cosmic or anthropomorphic frameworks. His works were produced during
Speaker 1: a time when scientific inquiry and esoteric traditions coexisted uneasily.
Speaker 1: Flood's diagrams stand in contrast to the emerging empirical optics
Speaker 1: of contemporaries like Johannes Kepler, who in sixteen o four
Speaker 1: had described the is mechanics. Flood, however, prioritized symbolic meaning
Speaker 1: over physical precision, a choice that shapes how the eye
Speaker 1: appears in his art. One of Flood's most famous diagrams
Speaker 1: is a depiction of the universe as a series of
Speaker 1: concentric circles, often with an eye like figure at the
Speaker 1: centre or apex. In Volume one, Tract one, he presents
Speaker 1: the cosmos as a hierarchical structure emanating from God. The
Speaker 1: eye here symbolizes the divine, the all seeing eye of God,
Speaker 1: overseeing created. This isn't a human eye in the anatomical sense,
Speaker 1: but is stylized radiant form, often surrounded by rays or clouds,
Speaker 1: linking perception to divine light. The engravings intricate line work
Speaker 1: in symmetry reflects flood beliefs that the universe is a harmonious,
Speaker 1: divinely ordered system. In sections addressing the human body as
Speaker 1: a microcosm, Flood maps correspondences between bodily organs and celestial forces.
Speaker 1: The eye often appears in diagrams of the head paired
Speaker 1: with the sun or the element of fire, emphasizing its
Speaker 1: role as a receptor of light. These illustrations might show
Speaker 1: the eye within a human figure, connected by lines or
Speaker 1: annotations to planets or spiritual facilities like the intellect. For Flood,
Speaker 1: the eye's ability to perceive light mirrored the Sun's role
Speaker 1: in illuminating the cosmos, a direct nod to Paracelsus macrocosm
Speaker 1: microcosm analogy. Flood's alchemical diagrams sometimes feature eyes as a
Speaker 1: symbol of transformation or enlightenment. One engraving an I might
Speaker 1: gaze upon a scene of elemental interplay, representing the alchemist's
Speaker 1: insight into nature's hidden processes. These eyes are less about
Speaker 1: anatomy and more about the act of seeing, as a
Speaker 1: metaphor for understanding divine mysteries. A reoccurring motif in Flood's
Speaker 1: work is a pyramid or triangle with an eye at
Speaker 1: its peak, reminiscent of later Masonic imagery, disappears in diagrams
Speaker 1: illustrating the descent from the material to the spiritual. The
Speaker 1: eye at the top signifies the pinnacle of perception, where
Speaker 1: the soul, through contemplation, apprehends God. The geometric precision of
Speaker 1: these figures reflects Flood's fascination with mathematical harmony, even if
Speaker 1: he rejected Kepler's mathematical rigor in a favor of mystical interpretation.
Speaker 1: Flood collaborated with skilled engravers, likely from the Dobrye family
Speaker 1: in Frankfurt, to produce his diagrams. These images are dense
Speaker 1: with detailed spirals, rays, Latin inscriptions and allegorical figures, making
Speaker 1: them both intellectual puzzles and works of art. The eye,
Speaker 1: when depicted, is often stylized, radiant, or surrounded by clouds,
Speaker 1: rather than dissected like a medical drawing. Annotations in Latin
Speaker 1: might label it as oculus eye or tie it to
Speaker 1: terms like lumen light or visio vision, reinforcing its symbolic usage.
Speaker 1: Flood's eye diagrams are not about optics in the modern sense. Instead,
Speaker 1: they embody his philosophy perception as divine connection. The eye
Speaker 1: links humanity to the cosmos, channeling divine light into the soul.
Speaker 1: This aligns with neoplatonic ideas of light as a medium
Speaker 1: of the divine, filtering through Flood's Christian lens unity of knowledge.
Speaker 1: By placing the eye in cosmic and human contexts, Flood
Speaker 1: suggests that sensory and spiritual vision are part of the
Speaker 1: same continuum, a rejection of the growing divide between science
Speaker 1: and mysticism in his time. Mystical insight the eye often
Speaker 1: represents the inner eye of understanding, a concept rooted in
Speaker 1: cabalistic and hermetic traditions where a true site transcends the physical.
Speaker 1: In comparison to Kepler. Unlike Kepler, who diagrammed the eye's
Speaker 1: optics with lines showing light's path to the retina, or Decartis,
Speaker 1: who later mechanized vision, Flood's diagrams are pre scientific in
Speaker 1: their intent. They share more with medieval manuscripts or how
Speaker 1: chemical texts like those of Ram and Lull, where symbols
Speaker 1: convey esoteric wisdom. Yet Flood's medical training he practice as
Speaker 1: a physician hints at some awareness of anatomy now when
Speaker 1: it comes to the brain, Robert Flood's ideas about the
Speaker 1: brain went beyond its physical form, viewing it as a
Speaker 1: vital connection between the material world and the divine. Robert
Speaker 1: Flood's thoughts on the brain brought together early scientific curiosity,
Speaker 1: mystical ideas, and philosophical speculation. He viewed the brain as
Speaker 1: a structured organ with regions dedicated to various mental faculties,
Speaker 1: the seat of the soul, and a pathway to the divine.
Speaker 1: While his ideas lacked the empirical foundation of modern neuroscience,
Speaker 1: they offer a window into the intellectual landscape of the
Speaker 1: early seventeenth century, blending science, mysticism, and the occult in
Speaker 1: a way that continues to intrigue historians and scholars today.
Speaker 1: Flood's knowledge of the brain anatomy was limited by the
Speaker 1: standards of his time, relying on Visilius's work in earlier
Speaker 1: theories such as Albertus Magnus's idea of the brain's three
Speaker 1: ventricles as the abode of the soul, he likely accepted
Speaker 1: the ventricular theory common in his medieval and Renaissance medicine,
Speaker 1: which posited that different brain cavities handled functions like sensation, imagination,
Speaker 1: and memory. However, he expanded this with mystical interpretations, seeing
Speaker 1: these functions as a part of a cosmic harmony. For instance,
Speaker 1: he associated the brain with the element of air or fire,
Speaker 1: linking it to celestial influences like the sun, which he
Speaker 1: saw as a macrocosmic counterpart. This integration is evident in
Speaker 1: his broader philosophy, where the brain's operations mirror the universe's structure,
Speaker 1: aligning with this hermetic principle of as above so below.
Speaker 1: In his major work, The History of the Two Worlds,
Speaker 1: Flood presented detailed diagrams that illustrated his theories, portraying the
Speaker 1: brain as a microcosmic reflection of the universe. When it
Speaker 1: was most famous. Illustrations, often called the Spiritual Brain, divides
Speaker 1: the brain into regions linked to specific functions the five
Speaker 1: senses touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing, rooted in sensory perception,
Speaker 1: and then this higher faculties imagination, reason, intellect, and memory,
Speaker 1: which he believed enabled deeper cognitive and spiritual processes. These
Speaker 1: divisions were influenced by the ventricular theory of the brain,
Speaker 1: an idea from earlier medical traditions like those of galland
Speaker 1: Flood assigned mental functions to different ventricles, the front ventrical
Speaker 1: sensory perception and imagination, the middle ventricle rational thought and estimation,
Speaker 1: and the rear ventrical memory. Flood also saw the brain
Speaker 1: as a more than a biological organ. He proposed that
Speaker 1: through its faculties reason, ratio, intellect, intellect, and mind, men's
Speaker 1: humans could access divine knowledge. His diagrams often featured a
Speaker 1: communication channel or beam linking the brain to the heavens,
Speaker 1: the symbolic representation of this spiritual connection. This structure echoed
Speaker 1: the Cabalistic tree of Life, showing Floods blend of Jewish
Speaker 1: mysticism and Christian theology. Flood's theory included three in connected
Speaker 1: worlds within the human mind, each tied to the brain's functions.
Speaker 1: Mundas sensibilis sensory world governed by the physical planes, Munda's
Speaker 1: imagined nobilis imaginal world, the realm of imagination and mental imagery.
Speaker 1: Munda's intellectualists the intellectual world, the domain of higher contemplation
Speaker 1: and divine insight. This trippetite model highlighted his belief that
Speaker 1: the brain facilitated not just every day percent and thought,
Speaker 1: but also spiritual enlightenment. Flood's thoughts were also shaped by astrology.
Speaker 1: He suggested that the brain's structure mirrored the celestial spheres,
Speaker 1: with different regions corresponding to planets or zodiac signs. This
Speaker 1: idea aligned with his broader philosophy of the microcosm and
Speaker 1: macrocosm correspondence, a key hermetic principle asserting that the body
Speaker 1: reflects the divine order of the universe. Now back to
Speaker 1: Flood's spiritual brain diagram featured in the History of the
Speaker 1: Two Worlds. This engraving depicts the head of a young
Speaker 1: man symbolizing the human mind, with various faculties labeled in Latin.
Speaker 1: The diagram includes the five senses. Touch tactus indexed by
Speaker 1: the finger, taste gustus at the mouth, smell orderatus at
Speaker 1: the nose, sight visus at the eye, and hearing ordered
Speaker 1: us at the ear please represent the brain's role in
Speaker 1: processing sensory input from the external world. Higher faculties above
Speaker 1: the senses, Flood places reason, ratio, intellect intellect us, and
Speaker 1: mind Men's, suggesting a hierarchy of cognitive and spiritual functions.
Speaker 1: Ratio is associated with purposeful thinking, intellect Us with contemplative beauty,
Speaker 1: and Men's with overall consciousness. And then the communication channel
Speaker 1: above these faculties, a communication channel of vault connects the
Speaker 1: brain to the divine realm, allowing man to access God
Speaker 1: and the angels. This reflects Flood's belief in the brain
Speaker 1: as a bridge between the material and spiritual. This diagram
Speaker 1: gives us Floods view that the brain is not merely
Speaker 1: anatomical but a spiritual instrument, facilitating interaction with the divine
Speaker 1: through reason and contemplation. As a physician, Flood likely applied
Speaker 1: his views in medical practice. Those specific treatments related to
Speaker 1: the brain are less documented. His holistic approach suggests he
Speaker 1: saw brain related disorders as imbalances not just in the body,
Speaker 1: but in the soul's connection to the cosmos, potentially influencing
Speaker 1: his use of alchemical remedies to restore harmony. And now,
Speaker 1: as we get closer Tore wrapping this up, we get
Speaker 1: to Robert's ideas about blood. Robert Flood's thoughts about blood
Speaker 1: are intricately tied to his cosmological, medical, and mystical worldview,
Speaker 1: reflecting his synthesis of Renaissance science, Paracelsian alchemy, and Christian theology.
Speaker 1: As a physician and philosopher, a Flood did not approach
Speaker 1: blood solely as a biological substance, but as a vital,
Speaker 1: symbolic and spiritual element within the human body, which he
Speaker 1: saw as a microcosm of the universe. His ideas about
Speaker 1: blood appear across his works, notably The History of the
Speaker 1: Two Worlds in Philosophia Mosaic, and are shaped by his
Speaker 1: influences Paracelsus, hermeticism and biblical ideas. Flood subscribed to a
Speaker 1: concept rooted in ancient and medieval physiology, further developed by Paracelsus,
Speaker 1: blood as the carrier of spiritus vitalis vital spirit a
Speaker 1: life giving force, linking the body to the soul and
Speaker 1: the divine. Drawing from Galaenic tradition, he believed blood was
Speaker 1: produced in the liver and infused with his vital spirit
Speaker 1: in the heart, where it mingled with air from the lungs. However,
Speaker 1: Flood went beyond Galen's humoral framework, integrating a mystical dimension.
Speaker 1: He saw the vital spirit in blood as a direct
Speaker 1: emanation of God's creative power, akin to the breath of
Speaker 1: life in Genesis. In the History of the Two Worlds,
Speaker 1: he describes blood as a vehicle of the soul, suggesting
Speaker 1: it animates the body much as the divine light animates
Speaker 1: the cosmos. Central to Flood's philosophy was the Paracelsian idea
Speaker 1: that the human body mirrors the universe. Blood, in this
Speaker 1: scheme held a special role as a microcosmic counterpart to
Speaker 1: celestial forces. He likened it to the rivers or currents
Speaker 1: of the cosmos, sometimes explicitly to the Sun's life giving
Speaker 1: rays or the ethereal waters of creation. In his diagrams,
Speaker 1: blood might be implicitly represented by flowing lines connecting the
Speaker 1: heart to other organs, symbolizing its role as a unifying
Speaker 1: circulatory force for Flood. Just as the sun sustains the macrocosm,
Speaker 1: blood sustains the microcosm, carrying warmth, life, and divine essence
Speaker 1: throughout the body. As an alchemist, Flood viewed blood through
Speaker 1: the lens of the four elements earth, air, fire, and
Speaker 1: water in their transformative potential. He associated blood with the
Speaker 1: element of fire due to its warmth and vitel, but
Speaker 1: also with water because of its fluidity, reflecting Paracelsis emphasis
Speaker 1: on chemical and spiritual balances in the body. In Medicina Catholica,
Speaker 1: Flood discusses blood as a chemical c HYMICL substance, suggesting
Speaker 1: it undergoes a refining process within the body akin to
Speaker 1: alchemical distillation. This process, he argued, purifies the vital spirit,
Speaker 1: aligning the individual with divine harmony. Blood's red color further
Speaker 1: linked to the alchemical rubetto or reddening stage, symbolizing completion
Speaker 1: and enlightenment. Flood's Christian mysticism deeply influenced his thoughts on blood.
Speaker 1: He saw it as a sacred substance, drawing parallels to
Speaker 1: the blood of Christ in the Eucharist, a symbol of
Speaker 1: redemption and divine sacrifice. In Philosophia Mosaica, he interprets Biblical
Speaker 1: references to blood as evidence of its spiritual potency. For Flood,
Speaker 1: blood was just not a physical fluid, but a medium
Speaker 1: through which God's presence manifests in humanity. This theological layer
Speaker 1: elevated blood beyond mere physiology, tying it to his broader
Speaker 1: goal of glorifying the divine order in nature. Flood's career
Speaker 1: overlapped with a pivotal moment in medical history, William Harvey's
Speaker 1: discovery of blood circulation, published in d Muto Cordis in
Speaker 1: sixteen twenty eight. Flood died in sixteen thirty seven, and
Speaker 1: while he lived late enough to encounter Harvey's ideas, his
Speaker 1: writings pre date or only marginally engage with his breakthrough.
Speaker 1: In Euturisque Cosmi, Flood adheres to a pre Harvey model
Speaker 1: where a blood's motion is more mystical than mechanical, ebbing
Speaker 1: and flowing under the influences of vital spirits rather than
Speaker 1: a closed circulatory system. As a practicing physician, Flood applied
Speaker 1: his theories pragmatically. Following Paracelsus, he believed the blood's quality
Speaker 1: reflected the body's harmony with the cosmos. In disease, he
Speaker 1: saw imbalances in the vital spirit, perhaps an excess of
Speaker 1: heat or corruption of the blood's purity, as the root cause.
Speaker 1: His treatments detailed in integrum Warbium Mysterium, including paracelsiuan remedies
Speaker 1: like chemical tinctures to restore blood's vitality rather than the
Speaker 1: blood letting common and galanic medicine. He also linked blood
Speaker 1: to astrological influences, suggesting planetarily alignments could affect its flow
Speaker 1: or composition, a nod to his occult learnings. Flood's thoughts
Speaker 1: about blood weave together several strands. Physiological blood is the
Speaker 1: body's animating fluid, infused with vital spirit via the heart.
Speaker 1: Cosmological mirrors the sun or cosmic rivers, uniting the human
Speaker 1: microcosm with the divine macrocosm. How chemical blood is a
Speaker 1: dynamic transformatives, a substance reflecting elemental and spiritual forces. Theological,
Speaker 1: it embodies divine life, echoing Christ's sacrifice and biblical truths.
Speaker 1: Unlike modern hematology, Flood's view was holistic and symbolic, less
Speaker 1: concerned with circulation than with blood's metaphysical essence. His ideas
Speaker 1: reflect a transitional moment, bridging medieval vitalism with Renaissance mysticism,
Speaker 1: just as empirical science began to emerge, and now as
Speaker 1: we really start to wrap this up and figured a
Speaker 1: perfect way to end it, we will talk about Robert
Speaker 1: Flood's ideas on death. Robert held a deeply philosophical view
Speaker 1: of death. Rather than seeing death as a mere end
Speaker 1: to physical life, Flood regarded it as a transformative process,
Speaker 1: integral to the soul's spiritual journey and its ultimate reunion
Speaker 1: with the divine. Within his work, he viewed death not
Speaker 1: his a termination, but as a transformation. He believed that
Speaker 1: death marked the soul's liberation from the physical body, allowing
Speaker 1: it to ascend to higher spiritual realms and return to
Speaker 1: its divine source. This perspective is vividly illustrated in his
Speaker 1: major work, The History of the Two Worlds, where he
Speaker 1: explores the interplay between the material and spiritual worlds. His
Speaker 1: diagrams depicting the soul's ascent through the celestial spheres reinforced
Speaker 1: the idea that death is a passage to a higher
Speaker 1: state of existence. Flood's fascination with alchemy also shaped his
Speaker 1: thoughts on death and alchemy. Processes of dissolution and rebirth
Speaker 1: symbolized spiritual transformation, and Flood likely saw parallels with the
Speaker 1: human experience. For Flood, death was thus a gateway to
Speaker 1: divine knowledge and a step towards unity and the cosmos,
Speaker 1: Aligning with his beliefs in the soul's continuous evolution, he
Speaker 1: accepted the immortality of the soul and the promise of
Speaker 1: reser and eternal life. However, his mystical leanings added depth
Speaker 1: to these beliefs, potentially blending them with the ideas of
Speaker 1: the soul's progression through spiritual planes or its ultimate communion
Speaker 1: with God. This synthesis of Christian theology and occult philosophy
Speaker 1: suggests that Floods saw death as both a physical event
Speaker 1: and his spiritual opportunity for divine connection. Flood's view of
Speaker 1: the universe is cyclical, mirroring processes of creation and dissolusion.
Speaker 1: Extending to his understanding of death, he believed that just
Speaker 1: as the cosmos operates in cycles, the soul undergoes a
Speaker 1: similar journey of life, death, and rebirth. This perspective rooted
Speaker 1: in hermetic and neoplatonic thought framed death as a natural
Speaker 1: and necessary phase within the broader cosmic order, facilitating the
Speaker 1: soul's ongoing development and return to perfection. Flood viewed death
Speaker 1: as a transformative and liberating process to the soul's evolution
Speaker 1: and its reunion with the divine. Far from being an end,
Speaker 1: death for Flood was a profound transition, a shedding of
Speaker 1: the material to embrace the eternal. And that will conclude
Speaker 1: this presentation. I hope you all enjoyed and got something
Speaker 1: out of it. Robert Flood was a very influential player
Speaker 1: when it came to alchemy, medicine, and the occult. He
Speaker 1: has even inspired me when it has come to some
Speaker 1: stuff with alchemy and the occult, and because of that,
Speaker 1: I am very grateful I was able to put this
Speaker 1: together and share it with you all. And until the
Speaker 1: next one, everybody be well.