Mircea Carta

This definitive compilation comprises 38 tracks that span the years from 1969 to 2006. They represent the most productive eras of the group and this 'must have' double CD set includes their best known songs from a plethora of fine albums, including 'Magna Carta', 'Seasons', 'Songs From Wasties Orchard' and 'Lord Of The Ages'. All the songs have been expertly remastered. The first CD was previously released in 1991, but has recently been difficult to obtain. The second album is a new compilation. Informative CD liner notes include an in-depth interview with singer/songwriter Chris Simpson, who describes the evolution of Magna Carta and the inspiration behind many of the songs. The CD cover is by the legendary Roger Dean.

Magna Carta's third album was the first with guitarist Davey Johnstone on board, one reason for its subsequent immortality in collecting circles. Another is the extravagant packaging that accompanied the original Vertigo release – the gatefold sleeve was designed to open up like a box, with a layer of apples (from Wasties Orchard, of course) within. Add a crystalline Gus Dudgeon production and, of course, the popularity among collectors of the original swirly Vertigo label design, and Songs from Wasties Orchard emerges a seldom seen but much sought-after gem. For anybody familiar with the group's first two albums, Magna Carta's own style remained constant, a collection of beautifully stylized folk ballads sung and gently strummed with a warmth and versatility that saw the group endure (and, presumably, enjoy) constant comparisons to mid-period Simon & Garfunkel. The addition of Johnstone to the original duo does little to derail those remarks – indeed, his own musical versatility puts one firmly in mind of the Americans' more ambitious moments, as mandolins, sitars, and harpsichords dance behind Glen Stewart and Chris Simpson's magically melded vocal harmonies.

Bien connu pour son oeuvre d'historien des religions, Mircea Eliade a été fasciné toute sa vie par l'alchimie. Ce livre en témoigne : il y montre que l'alchimie n'est pas une préfiguration moyenâgeuse de la chimie, vouée aux ténèbres de l'histoire, mais un phénomène culturel positif et digne d'attention. L'alchimie s'enracine dans les croyances des sociétés traditionnelles, où les substances minérales revêtent un caractère sacré. Les minerais, tels des embryons, "croissent" dans le ventre de la Terre ; le fer issu des météorites a une dimension magique parce qu'il provient du ciel…