The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Many of the recipes and tricks in The Spellbook of Marie Laveau/Petit Albert say to use an alembic to distill things. Here is a photo of a historical specimen: The Alembic (also alambic, alambique and alembick; Latin: Alembicus) or distilling helmet, also called caput Mauri, Capitellum or Galea in alchemy, is an attachment on distillation vessels for the separation of substances by heating and subsequent cooling (distillation). Similar to the retort, the Alembic has a long, side-downpipe through which the distillate consisting of rising vapors liquefied (condensed) by air cooling can drain into a collection vessel (the template). However, the bottom of the Alembic is open so that it can be put above the actual distillation flask. The name Alembik  is derived from Latin alembicus (also alambicum ) from the Arabic al-anbiq (Arabic الأنبيق), which in turn originates from the Arabic article al and the Greek word ambyx (ἄμβυξ) for vessel (later ambīk , "cup, pot, distillation v...

Dragon Dreams Jewelry has posted an interesting little excerpt about precious stones from the works of St. Hildegard . Some pieces: The devil abhors, detests, and disdains precious stones. This is because he remembers that their beauty was manifest on him before he fell from the glory God had given him, and because some precious stones are engendered from fire, in which he receives his punishment. By the will of God, the devil was vanquished by the fire into which he fell, just as he is vanquished by the fire of the Holy Spirit when humans are snatched from his jaws by the first breath of the Holy Spirit.  [...] they contain many powers and are effective for many needs. many things can be done with them—but only good, honest actions, which are beneficial to human beings; not activities of seduction, fornication, adultery, enmity, homicide and the like, which tend toward vice and which are injurious to people. The nature of these previous stones seeks honest and useful effect...