Anachitis Explained

In divination, an anachitis, or anancitis,[1] meaning "stone of necessity"[2] is a stone used to call up spirits from water.[3] It was described as a type of diamond by Martin Ruland the Elder.[1]

The stone was used in classical antiquity by the Magi, being described by Pliny the Elder as one of their "dreadful lies".[4] Its use had fallen out of favour by the Middle Ages.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rulandus, Martin the Elder . A Lexicon of Alchemy or Alchemical Dictionary . 1612 . Frankfurt .
  2. Book: Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius . Three Books of Occult Philosophy . Tyson, Donald . Freake, James (tr.) . 1531 . 1993 . Llewellyn Worldwide . 0-87542-832-0 . 42 .
  3. Book: Smedley, Edward . Edward Smedley

    . Encyclopædia metropolitana; or, System of universal knowledge . Edward Smedley. Taylor, W. Cooke. Thompson, Henry. Rich, Elihu . 1855 . Richard Griffin . London and Glasgow . 350 .

  4. Book: French, Roger . Ancient Natural History: Histories of Nature . 1994 . Routledge . 0-415-08880-1 . 227 .
  5. Book: Evans, Joan . Magical Jewels of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Particularly in England . 2004 . Kessinger Publishing . 0-7661-8224-X . 31 .

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