Paracelsus Bio

One of the most enigmatic personalities ever was born in Switzerland in 1493. He was a deeply religious, humble, God-loving man whose reason for being was to educate the masses in natural healing, the professions, and God’s true laws and commandments, among many other esoteric topics. His name is Theophrastus Bombastus (Philippus Aureolus) von Hohenheim, aka Paracelsus.

His father instructed him at an early age in subjects such as alchemy, surgery and medicine. When he was sixteen years old, Paracelsus attended the University of Basel, but did not complete his studies. A few years later, the Abbot Tritheim in Wurzburg initiated him into the secret sciences. Upon the abbot’s recommendation, Paracelsus was accepted as a student in the laboratory of the wealthy alchemist Fugger, who also taught him the secrets of chemistry.

Paracelsus spent the next twelve years of his life traveling and learning in Africa, Asia, Denmark, and Sweden; he also lived among the Tartars. He learned from executioners, women, physicians, Jews and gypsies. When he was thirty-two years of age, he returned to Germany, where, in a very short time, he became quite famous because of his miraculous cures. In 1526 he was hired as Professor of Medicine in Basel, where he attracted great attention by breaking with all the old traditions. Among other things, he gave lectures in German instead of Latin, as was the custom at that time.

The medical doctors and teachers in those days quoted Hippocrates (460–359 B.C.), Galen (131–200 A.D.), and Avicenna (980–1037 A.D.); Paracelsus, however, taught the sciences in his own manner. He even went so far as to take the writings of these men and openly burn them in the marketplace in Basel, declaring them unusable. Shortly thereafter he was forced to leave, but his reputation as an extraordinary physician kept on growing, and a few of his students followed him on his travels throughout Germany.

In his capacity as a physician, Paracelsus had extensive knowledge of and insight into the human body, the various ailments which afflicted humanity, and the causes and cures for such diseases. This is clearly recognizable (though only by seekers of truth) in his writings on medicine. As is and has been the case for many centuries, earthly authorities have attempted to stifle God’s truth and wisdom, albeit in vain. During Paracelsus’ colorful life, he too was persecuted for his beliefs and capabilities as a naturalist, and was driven out of Basel, Holland, and Nuremberg.

Paracelsus was a gifted man; otherwise his writings would not have survived to this day. His abilities can be proven by his many cures, which can be equaled only by a few physicians, even in this, our present-day science.

There is an anecdote about Paracelsus which should shed some light on his abilities and their origin. This story is twofold; in the earthly sense, it sounds like a fairy tale, but in the spiritual sense it reveals a long sought-after mystery.

The emperor had gout, and all the professors of medicine failed to cure him, and they did not know how to help him. Paracelsus was then called upon; he appeared in shabby clothes, whereupon the emperor’s servants ordered him to wear royal raiment. But the clothes he was forced to wear were of no value to him, and when Paracelsus was called before the emperor, he remarked that the emperor could not be healed unless he could wear his own clothes. Thereupon he immediately changed into his old clothes and prepared the remedy. As soon as the emperor had taken it, Paracelsus made haste and left immediately.

The emperor told Paracelsus that he was lucky he had not been found, otherwise he would not be alive now. Paracelsus answered, "I was well aware of that, and that is why I went into hiding. This paroxysm had to occur; otherwise it would have been impossible to get rid of the gout."

The emperor asked Paracelsus what kind of reward he expected. Paracelsus answered that he desired nothing more than that the emperor himself take him in his royal carriage part of the way to his next destination. The emperor agreed. After traveling for approximately one hour in the emperor’s carriage, Paracelsus asked the emperor to stop the carriage, for he had been taken far enough. Paracelsus got out of the carriage and asked the coachman to hold the horses’ hooves. He took a bottle out of his pocket which contained a tincture and put a drop on each hoof. Paracelsus then went on his way. Upon arriving at his castle, the emperor noticed that the horseshoes had turned into gold, as had the wheels of his carriage, which Paracelsus had also tinged with the tincture. The emperor realized that he was not wealthy enough to reward Paracelsus accordingly, since his treasury did not contain what Paracelsus’ tincture contained.

A true genius of all times, to this day Paracelsus is unsurpassed as a visionary, astrologer, healer, and philosopher. His writings are a must! His alchemical and philosophical spirit gave rise to many volumes on soul purification, man’s connection with the Creator, creation, and various other illuminating and controversial biblical interpretations.