*Ø* Blogmanac July 18, 1552 | Happy birthday, Mr Potato Head



“Rudolf II, patron of Kepler and briefly Brahe was fascinated by alchemy, astrology, and other ways in which human art interfered in or perfected nature. Here one of his court painters has, through art, depicted Rudolf as an assemblage of natural objects: fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers.” Source

Emperor Rudolf II of Bohemia (1552-1612), like our other birthday boy, John Dee (below), an unconfirmed one-time owner of the Voynich Manuscript. He is believed to have been the first owner of the mysterious manuscript, which he bought from an unknown seller for 600 ducats.

Terence McKenna - VoynichManuscript rc.mp3
Voynich Ms photo gallery
Wilfryd Micha³ Habdank-Woynicz (Voynich)
More
More
People associated with Voynich Ms
Leonardo da Vinci and the Voynich Manuscript

* Ø * Ø * Ø *


Dr John Dee, English astrologer, alchemist and mathematician was also born today, in 1527. He was visited by King Rudolph II (above) in his dwelling.

More on Dee, at Wilson's Almanac Scriptorium
Click for a big image of Dee
More
And more
Yet more
The Alchemy Website
Timeline of alchemists
John Dee Society
Map of the Arctic By Dee

"So how come such a significant philosopher - one of very few in a country then considered an intellectual backwater - barely features in British history books? Because of his notorious links with magic."
BBC Discover: John Dee