The Quintessence

If you research the word, quintessence, you will find a variety of opinions as to its meaning. I found the following quote from Merriam-Webster (online dictionary) the most amusing.

“Long ago, when people believed that the earth was made up of four elements-earth, air, fire and water – they thought the stars and planets were made up of yet another element. In the Middle Ages, people called this element by its Medieval Latin name, quinta essentia, literally, “fifth essence”. Our forebears believed the quinta essentia was essential to all kinds of matter, and if they could somehow isolate it, it would cure all disease. We have since given up on that idea, but we kept “quintessence”, the offspring of “quinta essential” as a word for the purest essence of something.”

I don’t know about you, but one eye brow goes up for me, whenever I hear suggestions that past ideas were somehow misguided, silly, or nonsense. Especially, when the reasoning is that it was something from “long-ago”. To the ancients, studying celestial movement was fundamental to understanding all things related to earthly living. The ordered motion of the stars provided the means for measuring cycles of time and seasons on Earth. This fact, is irrefutable. What is up for debate, is history itself. What if the history we have been taught is inaccurate? And why would that be impossible?

Archaeological research continues to uncover relics and hieroglyphics that point to a much older history than the one believed to have originated in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE. Further, as time has passed, splits and schisms have contributed to our incomplete perspectives about our history and human nature itself. A few of these splits are: astronomy and astrology, chemistry (science) and alchemy (spirit), eastern history and western history, and even masculine and feminine.

A little-known fact about the practice of medicine is that, until 1666, it was required for physicians to pass astrological exams in order to practice medicine. The planets and elements of the Zodiac had roles to play in medical astrology, but the signs of the Zodiac were integral to understanding how the human body functioned at the time. Another interesting fact, is if you go to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIM) they provide their “official” chronological list of physicians throughout western history:

Chronology of Ancient Physicians

Year

Physician

700 BCE

Homer's Iliad recounts that Apollo is the bringer and reliever of plagues

600 BCE

Thales of Miletus, one of the Seven Sages of Greece, initiates inquiries about

nature and physics: thus begins the rise of Greek science and philosophy.

580 BCE

Pythagoras of Samos is born; he later founded a mystical school for science

and philosophy. (NIH/NIM use the term cult.)

480 BCE

Philosopher and physician Empedocles is born

460 BCE

Hippocrates is born; later begins the Hippocratic Corpus

384 BCE

Philosopher and scientist Aristotle is born

334-325 BCE

Egypt, the Middle East, and western India are indoctrinated in Greek

knowledge when Alexander the Great conquers these regions.

330 BCE-100 CE

The city of Alexandria, Egypt, becomes a mecca where scholars from many

cultures seek knowledge on philosophy, science, religion, and medicine.

146 BCE

Greek civilization begins exchanges with Rome

50-70 BCE

Dioscorides writes De Materia Medica

129 CE

Noted physician Galen is born; his medicine is based on the four humors.

150 BCE

Artemidorus writes Oneirocritica (translation: The Interpretation of Dreams)

476 BCE

Roman Empire begins to fall and Western physicians lose touch with Greek

scholars and Eastern texts

632-1200 CE

Islam takes over Egypt and the Middle East. Arabic medical scholars’ study

the ways of Greek physicians and translate Greek texts into Arabic.

1200 - 1350 CE

Texts found during the Crusades renew Western scholars’ interest in Greek

Medicine

1450 - 1598 CE

Constantinople falls in 1453, and many Byzantine scholars move to Italy,

bringing Greek texts with them: Greek medical texts are intensely studied

1540 - 1800 CE

Western scholars question Greek medicine and philosophy. Divorcing

medicine from its ancient paradigm they begin to develop modern Western

medicine

As I postulated earlier, this is the history we know of, what about earlier history? Was there knowledge in existence prior to this that was lost, destroyed, or forgotten? I am one who believes that there was. One of the more interesting physicians from the above list is, Empedocles (490-450- BCE). He was one of the last pre-Socratic philosophers to record his ideas. His biggest contribution was a theory of the four elements, in which, he proposed that two opposing forces, love and strife, created the mixture and separation of the elements. This was all based on his own observations as to how he had observed the elements manifesting in the physical world. Greek philosophy was based on the belief that life depends upon the combination of all four elements. Quoting from author, Jennifer Gehl:

“Earth provides agricultural sustenance, and food. Water provides the means by which Earth’s plant life grows, allowing it to continue providing sustenance. Without the light from the sun in combination with water, there would be no food, and air and oxygen are required for human life to survive. Having practiced the Hermetic principle, “As above, so below”, the Greeks understood that if the elements existed in the external world, they also exist in human beings.

Although humoral medicine prevailed, and before the separation of science and healing art was completed, Western physicians recognized a primary element called “quintessence” that held all other elements together. Quintessence was to be the invisible mover, the life-force energy inherent in all plants, animals, and humans. Once separation of science and healing took place, quintessence became irrelevant to practice of medicine.”

As a Shamanic healer and Astrologer, I am one who not only believes in “quintessence”, I have witnessed it over and over again in healing sessions as well as in the delineation of a person’s natal chart. This invisible life-force is as real to me as the computer I am typing this blog post on. Because something can not be perceived visually, does not prove its non-existence. Think smells? Think music? We cannot see either of these, yet I doubt any of us would deny their existence. Be wary those who suggest ancient knowledge and practices are silly, antiquated, or without merit. Both esoteric (inner/feminine/spiritual) and exoteric (outer/masculine/material) must be remembered, respected, and balanced if we are to succeed in the pursuit of healing. I believe a “great remembering” has begun and we will all benefit as a result.