Anachitis
Encyclopedia
In divination
, an anachitis, or anancitis, meaning "stone of necessity" is a stone used to call up spirit
s from water. It was described as a type of diamond
by Martin Rulandus the Elder
.
The stone was used in antiquity
by the Magi
, being described by Pliny the Elder
as one of their "dreadful lies". Its use had fallen out of favour by the middle ages
.
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
, an anachitis, or anancitis, meaning "stone of necessity" is a stone used to call up spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
s from water. It was described as a type of diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
by Martin Rulandus the Elder
Martin Ruland
Martin Ruland the Elder , also known as Martinus Rulandus or Martin Rulandt, was a German physician and alchemist. He was a follower of the physician Paracelsus....
.
The stone was used in antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
by the Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
, being described by Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
as one of their "dreadful lies". Its use had fallen out of favour by the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.