Elizabeth - The Living Lore

The Wisdom of Fools: Why Madness and Insight Walk Hand in Hand

The wise fool is an uncomfortable figure. Someone whose position seems to disqualify them from authority says what authority would […]

A different viewpoint can reveal something we have missed. It does not follow that every account is equally adequate, or

“Become yourself” and “let go of the self” can sound like instructions pointing in opposite directions. Put them on adjoining

Wisdom is not simply having the most information in the room. It involves judging what matters, recognising what remains uncertain

The Philosopher’s Stone gives Harry Potter’s first adventure a clear object of pursuit: something extraordinarily valuable must be kept from

A dragon bends back and puts its own tail in its mouth. It is a memorable image, but “transformation” is

There’s something irresistible about a good symbol—a sign, a mark, a hidden message that seems to whisper, “There’s more here

An alchemical book may offer a recipe, a dialogue, a picture sequence or a set of borrowed authorities. These forms

Alchemy is often reduced to one impossible ambition: turning lead into gold. That image has survived for centuries because it