Rubedo Press
Rubedo Press
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Pathways to the Universal Tincture

The collected alchemical works of Dorothea Juliana Wallich (1657–1725) represent the largest extant body of writings from a practicing female alchemist. Born in Weimar, Germany, Wallich was influenced by the operative alchemical traditions of Early Modern Europe as well as by the cosmic spiritual visions of Jakob Böhme. Wallich worked in an apothecary, owned a mine in Saxony, courted the Thuringian aristocracy, and made important discoveries in the chemistry of cobalt chloride. She also elaborated upon the reconciliation of scripture and nature through the Christic symbolism of alchemical processes. Following in the footsteps of figures such as pseudo-Cleopatra, Maria Prophetissa, and Theosebeia, Wallich’s alchemical worldview ultimately encompassed operative, medicinal, philosophical, and religious alchemy, all of which come together in this fascinating trilogy of writings. Translated into English for the very first time, this dual-language edition presents a carefully revised presentation of the original German texts alongside a facing-page translation by Dr. Alexander Kraft, who also provides scholarly introduction and commentary. This 2025 publication commemorates the 300th anniversary of Wallich’s death.

Auckland · Rubedo Press · 2025
5.5 x 8.5 | illustrated | B&W | 704 pp.

Paperback
NZD $77.00

Hardback
NZD $99.00

Price listed in New Zealand Dollars.
Approximate price in other currencies:
GBP £34.00 , EU: € 42.00, USD $44.00 (paperback)
GBP £44.00 , EU: € 54.00, USD $56.00 (hardback)

Pathways to the Universal Tincture

Dorothea Juliana Wallich

Edited by Alexander Kraft, PHD

Translated from the German by Alexander Kraft,
Michael A. Putman & Aaron Cheak

The collected alchemical works of Dorothea Juliana Wallich (1657–1725) represent the largest extant body of writings from a practicing female alchemist. Born in Weimar, Germany, Wallich was influenced by the operative alchemical traditions of Early Modern Europe as well as by the cosmic spiritual visions of Jakob Böhme. Wallich worked in an apothecary, owned a mine in Saxony, courted the Thuringian aristocracy, and made important discoveries in the chemistry of cobalt chloride. She also elaborated upon the reconciliation of scripture and nature through the Christic symbolism of alchemical processes. Following in the footsteps of figures such as pseudo-Cleopatra, Maria Prophetissa, and Theosebeia, Wallich’s alchemical worldview ultimately encompassed operative, medicinal, philosophical, and religious alchemy, all of which come together in this fascinating trilogy of writings. Translated into English for the very first time, this dual-language edition presents a carefully revised presentation of the original German texts alongside a facing-page translation by Dr. Alexander Kraft, who also provides scholarly introduction and commentary. This 2025 publication commemorates the 300th anniversary of Wallich’s death.

“God also honored the female sex to explore his mysteries, such as Mariam, Moses’ sister, the prophetess. Likewise, there was the prophetess Deborah, who judged Israel. After his resurrection, the son of God also revealed himself to a woman before anyone else. By doing this he showed, from the beginning of the world, that he sought out everything that was despised by the world, everything held to be ignorant and unlearned, and he did not allow himself to be bound to the educated world. Rather, his spirit is the right teacher and the highest school, where the entire educated world must fall silent. For scholars argue until the end of the world and yet accomplish nothing, seeking all science and reason only in the sound of words, but abandoning the inner reason; they gnaw on the husks, but do not taste the kernel. One can be quite certain of this: if they are well off in the outer heaven and are looked upon favorably, then the inner heaven is still much more favorable to them, and they have the hope of approaching God through a divine, virtuous life and of investigating his mysteries. This person may be a woman or man; in Christ we are but one, all the bride of Christ”.

Dorothea Juliana Wallich, 1706

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Short Biography of Dorothea Juliana Wallich
Alexander Kraft, PhD

1. The Mineral Gluten
Dorothea Juliana Wallich, 1705

The Mineral Gluten, Double Serpent Staff, Mercurius Philosophorum, Long and Short Way to the Universal Tincture (Das mineralische Gluten, doppelter Schlangen-Stab, Mercurius Philosophorum, langer und kurzer Weg zur Universal-Tinctur)

2. The Philosophical Pearl Tree
Dorothea Juliana Wallich, 1705

The Philosophical Pearl Tree. The Growth of the Three Principles for Clear Explication of the Stone of the Wise (Der philosophische Perl-Baum. Das Gewächs der drei Principien zu Deutlicher Erklärung des Steins der Weisen)

3. Key to the Cabinet of Nature’s Secret Treasure Chamber
Dorothea Juliana Wallich, 1706

Key to the Cabinet of Nature’s Secret Treasure Chamber for Seeking and Finding the Stone of the Wise, Presented Through a Series of Questions and Answers (Schlüssel zu dem Cabinet der geheimen Schatz-Kammer der Natur zur Suche und Findung des Steins der Weisen, durch Fragen und Antwort gestellt)

Annotations
Bibliography

About the Editor

Dr. Alexander Kraft is a chemist and historian of chemistry from Germany. He studied chemistry at the Humboldt University in Berlin where he received his doctorate in 1994 in the field of semiconductor electrochemistry. Since 1995 he has worked as an employee, founder, or consultant for various start-up companies in Germany, the USA, Sweden, and Spain in the fields of electrochemical water treatment and dynamic smart windows (electrochromism, thermochromism). Since 2007, Kraft has also been working as a historian of alchemy and chemistry, with a focus on the history of Prussian blue and the history of chemistry and alchemy in Berlin. He has published three German-language books in this field. These include works on the history of chemistry in Berlin (Chemie in Berlin: Geschichte, Spuren, Persönlichkeiten, 2012), the history of Prussian blue (Berliner Blau: Vom frühneuzeitlichen Pigment zum modernen Hightech-Material, 2019) and the history of alchemy in Saxe-Meiningen around the year 1700 (Zwei Herzöge im Goldrausch: Die Alchemie am Fürstenhof von Sachsen-Meiningen von 1680 bis 1724, 2023). Since 2016, Kraft has been researching the biography and writings of the alchemist Dorothea Juliana Wallich. Together with colleagues in the Alchemy Network at the Gotha Research Center (Erfurt University), selected experiments by Wallich are being recreated. The ligand exchange thermochromism she discovered is still the basis for developmental work towards dynamic glazing in modern construction.