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[[File:Hermes.png|right|200px|thumb|Medieval Drawing of Hermes Trismegistus]]
'''Hermeticism''' is a philosophical system based on writings attributed to [[Hermes Trismegistus]], a legendary combination of the Greek god Hermes, his Roman counterpart Mercury, and the Egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth.


Hermeticism is the philosophy of Hermes (in Greek), Mercury (in Roman) and Thoth (in Egyptian).  Mainstream historians do not know if Hermes was a god, a man, a magician, a group of men, nor do they know even approximately when he or they lived. Theosophy, however, tells us that “Thoth-Hermes was one of the King-Instructors, the "[[Sons of the Fire]]," who began in [[Lemuria]] in the Third Race to instruct infant humanity in the arts and sciences. The Egyptians always regarded Thoth-Hermes as a symbol of the Third Race. But in whichever of his characters Hermes appears, he is always credited as the first to teach the science of magic to the Egyptians.”<ref>Author Unknown, “Great Theosophists – Alchemy and the Alchemists” Wisdom World.org THEOSOPHY, Vol. 25, No. 11, September, 1937, (Pages 490-496; Size: 19K), (Number 14 of a 29-part series)</ref> The name Hermes is also given to a school of initiates.
== Origins of Hermeticism ==
'''THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''<br>
'''THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''<br>


“The Sons of Fire were a special group of Adepts who were produced consciously through kriy€ akti by the Sons of Wisdom during the Third Root Race of humanity. The [[Mahatma Letters]] refer to them as the inhabitants of [[Shamballa]] who triumphed over the wicked magicians of Poseidon, the last island of Atlantis. They were not a race, and are also called ‘Sons of Will and Yoga.’”<ref>http://www.theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Sons_of_the_Fire_Mist# 2</ref>
Hermeticism professes a lineage from a '''''prisca theologia,''''' an ancient theology underlying all religions. Historians believe that the origins of the Hermetic school of thought go back to Hellenistic Egypt, around 400-100 BCE.


[[File:Hermes.png|left|300px|thumb|Medieval Drawing of Hermes]]
== Foundational writings ==


Traditional historians do suspect that the origins of the Hermetic school of thought goes back to pre-sand era of Egypt.   There is much speculation about the Egyptian civilization.   Official history books date Egypt to around 3000 BC, as a fully developed society complete with extraordinary knowledge. This is very unlikely. Some evolution of this advanced society would be necessary to reach the stage it reached by 3000 BC but nothing is recorded. Theosophists suggest that pre-sand Egypt was populated by the survivors of [[Atlantis]] who crossed the then lush Sahara and settled in the Nile Valley bringing with them the advanced knowledge of the lost continent thousands of years before Egypt enters history in 3000 BC.  The pyramids, temples and the Sphinx were built by Atlantean ancestors far before they are believed to have been built.
The Hermetic teachings are collectively known as '''Hermetica'''. [[Hermes Trismegistus]], or his followers, are credited with writing forty-two books according to Clement of Alexander<ref>[https://platopagan.tripod.com/hermetic_books.htm The 42 Hermetic Books Cited by Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150-215 A.D.)] Quoted from a Clement of Alexandria work entitled ''Stromata'' (Miscellanies), Book VI, Chapter 4.</ref>. Clement described the sacred ceremonial of the ancient Egyptians as requiring use of hermetic books containing "the hymns of the gods and rules of conduct for the kings."<ref>[https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/H/hermes-trismegistus-or-mercurius.html Hermes Trismegistus, or Mercurius].</ref> Four books are related to astrology and others are alchemical. Another group presents philosophical concepts in the form of dialogues, in the style of [[Plato]]. Among the best-known works are ''Corpus Hermeticum'' and ''The Emerald Tablet''. The original works were written in Greek and Arabic. In 1948, an additional work was discovered in the Nag Hammadi Collection: ''The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth,'' which seems to be in initiation rite. It is now considered to be the eighteenth treatise of the ''Corpus Hermeticum''. A Greek version of parts of the 6th treatise in the ''Corpus Hermeticum'' was also found at Nag Hammadi.


Hermeticism has endured for eons and has influenced some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient and modern world, even at times when it seemed the world had forgotten Hermeticism it was an unseen but primary motivating factor at the core. Though not specifically Christian, Hermes has been adopted by many Christian writers as sage who foresaw Christianity’s arrival.   Hermeticism does profess a lineage from a “prisca theologia,” a doctrine that upholds the existence of a single, true theology existing in all theologies that was given to man by God in the very distant past.
The writings that are now available to us were almost certainly altered or sanitized by Christian interpreters, and represent only a fraction of the original occult teachings. Egyptologist James Bonwick wrote:
<blockquote>
They are more or less touched up by the Platonic philosophers among the early Christians (such as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus) who sought to substantiate their Christian arguments by appeals to these heathen and revered writings, though they could not resist the temptation of making them say a little too much."<ref>James Bonwick, ''Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought'' (London: Kegan Paul & Co., 1878), 390.</ref>
</blockquote>


Hermes, or followers of Hermes, are credited with writing forty-two books according to Clement of Alexander, others credit him with twice this number but only about fifteen have come down to us, as least so far.  Among his works are ''Corpus Hermeticum'', ''Pymander'', ''Asclepius'' and the famous ''Emerald Tablets''.   These works can be divided into two subjects – one being philosophical in nature and the other being alchemical. The philosophical works were written as dialogues, the way Plato wrote.  The ''Emerald Tablets'', however, were written in a manner that seems to obscure the meaning to all but those trained in alchemy. Of course, all alchemical works seem to be written in a purposely enigmatic manner for that very reason. 
'''''The Divine Pymander''''', often cited as a separate work, is actually the first treatise within the ''Corpus Hermeticum''. Pymander or Poimandres means "the divine Thought" or "man-shepherd." The personified [[Nous]] appears to [[Hermes Trismegistus]] to give him instruction in esoteric concepts; in other words the great universal mind provides guidance as a shepherd to mankind.
   
=== ''Corpus Hermeticum'' ===


Hermes Trimagistis, as Hermes is sometimes known, means “thrice great.”    He has been credited with an astonishing number of inventions including no less than civilization itself, in addition to music, chemistry, law, art, astrology, magic, mathematics, philosophy and the list goes on and on.  
The ''Corpus Hermeticum'' became available as a manuscript in the fifteenth century, although the work was much older. Thought to have been written anywhere from 100 BCE to 1462 CE, the writings were lost or underground until 1452, when the document was rediscovered in Macedonia. [[Marsilio Ficino]] (1433–1499) began translating the ''Corpus'' from Greek into Latin. He completed translation of the first fourteen treatises, and Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500) translated the remaining three.<ref>Brian P. Copenhaver,''Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction''. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), xlvii–xlviii.</ref><ref>Wouter Hanegraaff, "Lazzarelli, Lodovico". In
''Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism'' (Leiden: Brill, 2006), 680.</ref> 


[[File:Hermetic Art 1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hermetic illustration of astrological medicine, Iatromathematica]]
The treatises within the ''Corpus'' include:


== '''Creation According To Hermes''' ==
# Discourse of Poimandres to [[Hermes Trismegistus]] &ndash; also known as ''The Divine Pymander''
# Hermes to Asclepius
# A sacred discourse of Hermes
# A discourse of Hermes to Tat: The mixing bowl or the monad
# A discourse of Hermes to Tat, his son: That god is invisible and entirely visible
# Hermes to Asclepius: That the good is in god alone and nowhere else
# That the greatest evil in mankind is ignorance concerning god
# Hermes to Tat: That none of the things that are is destroyed, and they are mistaken who say that changes are deaths and destructions
# Hermes to Asclepius: On understanding and sensation: [That the beautiful and good are in god alone and nowhere else]
# Hermes to Tat: The key
# Mind (''[[Nous]]'') to Hermes
# Hermes to Tat: On the mind shared in common
# Hermes to Tat, a secret dialogue on the mountain: On being born again, and on the promise to be silent
# Hermes to Asclepius: health of mind
# Asclepius to King Ammon: Definitions on god, matter, vice, fate, the sun, intellectual essence, divine essence, mankind, the arrangement of the plenitude, the seven stars, and mankind according to the image
# Asclepius to King Ammon
# Tat to a king: On the soul hindered by the body's affections


=== ''The Emerald Tablet'' ===


Understanding the creation story as recounted in Hermes’ Book I of ''Corpus Hermeticum'', called ''Poimandres'', will help to see where the beliefs of Hermeticism came from.
''The Emerald Tablet'' or ''Smaragdine Tablet'', was written in a manner that is intentionally enigmatic to obscure the meaning to all but those trained in [[alchemy]]. The ''Tablet'' presents some of the most basic concepts in occultism, including '''"As above, so below"''':


Nous is what God is called. In the beginning Nous (God) created a second Nous, who becomes a craftsman and creates the world. Nous II creates seven powers in seven spheres around what will become earth; the spheres have control over what will be the earth. They control what we know as destiny. The seven spheres are the Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  Here is the beginning of astrology. But there is an eighth and a ninth sphere beyond these seven and it will be man’s goal to transcend the power of the seven and finally arrive at the eighth and then the ninth where he is to be reunited with the creator. Nous II sets the spheres in motion and life begins on earth.  
<blockquote>
It is true, no lie, certain, to be depended upon: What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below to accomplish the wonders of one thing. As all things were produced by the mediation of one being, so all things were produced from this one by adaptation. Its father is the sun, its mother is the moon. It is the cause of all perfection throughout the whole earth. Its power is perfect if it is changed into earth. Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, acting prudently and with judgment. Ascend with the greatest sagacity from the earth to heaven, and then descend again to earth, and unite together the power of things inferior and superior; thus you will possess the light of the whole world, and all obscurity will fly away from you. This thing has more fortitude than fortitude itself, because it will overcome every subtle thing and penetrate every solid thing. By it the world was formed.
</blockquote>


Nous I likes what Nous II has created and he wants to share his pleasure in this creation.   So Nous I creates Man.  Poimandres says, “Man is the same as self,” that is same as Nous.  The idea of being a child of god  is obvious here.  Seeing all the wonderful, beautiful things that had been created Man wants this power too and Nous I so loved Man that he handed creation over to him.  Man (still in heaven) became interested in what was going on down on earth so he pierces the seven spheres and looks down on what Nous II has created.  Nature looks up at Man and falls in love with him.  Man sees his own reflection in the waters of earth and falls in love Nature and wants to be with her. Immediately Man is transported into the world of form.  He and Nature fall into each other’s arms, make love and have been doing so ever since.
It emphasizes that a person cannot separate himself from Nature:
<blockquote>
Within us there lies a mysterious force that tends in all directions, spreading from a center hidden in infinite depths. If wondrous nature, the nature of the senses and the nature that is not of the senses, surrounds us, we believe this force to be an attraction of nature, an effect of our sympathy with her.
</blockquote>


In the creation myth we are introduced to astrology and the influence of the planets upon man and from which man is expected to rise above.  We have dualism – a god of the heavens and one who created earth.  We see the idea of Man as the son or part of god.  We have man being given the power of creation. “You create your own reality.”  The idea that man has a dual nature – one in heaven (non-material, the soul or spirit) and one physical in the world of matter (the body). And “the Fall”, leaving heaven to be with Nature.
== Concepts of Hermeticism ==


As Christopher Bamford has written, " Hermeticism is the sacred science of realizing and enhancing the subtle states of both the human being and the universe, which correspond to each other."<ref>Christopher Bamford, "Green Hermeticism: ''Quest'' 97 no.2 (Spring, 2009), 54-59, 63.</ref>


== '''Beliefs''' ==
Fundamental to understanding Hermeticism is a knowledge or '''gnosis''' that cannot be taught.  Gnosis reveals in an experiential way the total unity of everything in the universe. Hermeticism is not a religion of faith or belief; it is about knowing that requires no trust in something unseen or unproven. Frances Yates describes  Hermeticism as a religion "without temples or liturgy, followed in the mind alone."<ref>Frances A. Yates, ''Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition'' (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), 13.</ref> The ways of opening oneself to gnosis can be taught to an aspirant but the experience itself is a direct, intuitive, very personal grasp of divine reality and the unity of everything.  Achieving this gnosis or cosmic consciousness is necessary to the hermeticist because this is how he becomes fully human.


Belief in '''[[reincarnation]]''' is another feature of Hermeticism. "O son, how many bodies we have to pass through, how many bands of demons, through how many series of repetitions and cycles of the stars, before we hasten to the One Alone?”<ref>Clement Salaman, Dorine Van Oyen, William D. Wharton, and Jean-Pierre Mahé. ''The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius'' (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2000), 33.</ref>


Fundamental to understanding Hermeticism is a knowledge, a “gnosis,” which cannot be taught.  Gnosis reveals in an experiential way the total unity of everything in the universe. Absolutely everything in the world is interconnected, there is no separation. Hermeticism is not a religion of faith or belief, it is about knowing that requires no trust in something unseen or unproven. Frances Yates says, Hermeticism is a religion “without temples or liturgy, followed in the mind alone.”<ref>Yates, Frances A. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971. Print. P. 13</ref> The ways to open to gnosis can be taught to an aspirant but the experience itself is a direct, intuitive, very personal grasp of divine reality and the unity of everything.  Achieving this gnosis or cosmic consciousness is necessary to the hermetic man because this is how he becomes fully human; without this he is little more than an animal. 
Another aspect of Hermeticism is the belief that '''Man is the equal of God'''. "If you do not make yourself the equal of God you cannot understand him. Like is understood by Like."<ref>Gary Lachman, ''The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World'' (2011), 35.</ref>  


This sudden revelation experience has been compared to what RM Bucke called “cosmic consciousness,” which is the very sudden, unprovoked sense of total oneness with everything. It is a very rare occurrence. Bucke, in his 1901 book Cosmic Consciousness, explores the instances of this gnosis experienced by Jesus, the Buddha, Proust, Ouspensky, Dante, Whitman and Blake to name a few. As rare and as moving as these moments are Bucke believes our consciousness is moving toward a state where instances of cosmic consciousness will be commonplace.   Interestingly, Abraham Maslow investigating what he calls “peak experiences” found that when his students discussed with each other their personal peak experiences they tended to become more frequent. Perhaps knowledge of and discussion of gnosis will make it a less rare event.
<blockquote>
Command your soul to go anywhere, and it will be there quicker than your command. Bid it to go to the ocean and it will need no wings... Suppose nothing to be impossible to you. Conceive yourself to be in all places at the same time; in earth, in the sea, in heaven; that you are not born yet, that you are within the womb, that you are young, old, dead. Conceive all things at once; times, places, actions, qualities and quantities; then you can understand God.<ref>Gary Lachman, ''The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World''. (2011), 35.</ref> 
</blockquote>


One aspect of Hermeticism that greatly disturbs fundamentalist Christians is the belief that Man is the equal of God.  “If you do not make yourself the equal of God you cannot understand him. Like is understood by Like.”<ref>Lachman, Gary. The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. , 2011. Print. P35</ref> Advice from Nous to Hermes in Book XI of Corpus Hermeticum.  “Command your soul to go anywhere, and it will be there quicker than your command.  Bid it to go to the ocean and it will need no wings…Grow to immeasurable size.  Suppose nothing to be impossible to you.  Conceive yourself to be in all places at the same time; in earth, in the sea, in heaven; that you are not born yet, that you are within the womb, that you are young, old, dead.  Conceive all things at once; times, places, actions, qualities and quantities; then you can understand God.”<ref>Lachman, Gary. The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. , 2011. Print. P35</ref>  Arrogance?  Hermes says that Man is a “divine being….and the true man is above the gods, or at least fully their equal in power.”<ref>Lachman, Gary. The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. , 2011. Print. P35</ref> Some schools of thought believe “God only knows what you know,” suggesting that man’s journey on earth is a learning experience for the creator, as well as the individual.  Those who believe their god is omniscient take offense with this premise of Hermeticism.  
Some schools of hermetic thought believe "God only knows what you know," suggesting that man’s journey on earth is a learning experience for the creator, as well as the individual.  


[[File:The_Magican.png|right|300px|thumb|The Magician in Tarot]]
[[File:The Magician 1.png|right|140px|thumb|The Magician in Tarot]]


Hermeticists believed in the doctrine of “as above, so below,” or the [[Law of Correspondences]], a statement which begins the Smaragdine Tablet of Hermes, opens with the words: "What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below."  Whatever happens on one level of reality, be it physical, emotional or mental, happens on all level.  This doctrine is repeated through most occult disciplines.  In the Tarot the first card of the major arcana is the Magician shown here at the right.  The Magician in this picture is pointing up with one arm and down with the other signifying “as above, so below.”  On the table before  him are the representations of the four basic elements – earth (pentacles), wind (swords), fire (wands) and water (cups) – all controlled by the “as above, so below.” 
This theory of God and man fits perfectly into the doctrine of "as above, so below," or the '''[[Law of Correspondences]]'''. The ''Smaragdine Tablet'' or ''Emerald tablet'' of Hermes, opens with the words:  
<blockquote>
What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below.
</blockquote>


According to Hermeticism there are three parts of wisdom in the entire universe they are [[Alchemy]], Astrology and Theurgy. Alchemy is the operation of the sun or the striving for perfection.  Astrology, the operation of the stars, and the influences upon the human being and his work to rise above the influence of the heavens.  Theurgy is the operation of the gods or magic.    In Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Apology he writes that there are two different types of magic, Black Magic or Goëtia (Greek), which relies upon an alliance with evil spirits (i.e., demons) and there is White (or divine) magic called Theurgy, which relies on an alliance with divine spirits (i.e., angels, archangels, gods).
Actions on one level of reality &ndash; physical, emotional or mental &ndash; happens on all levels. This doctrine echoes through most occult disciplines. In the Tarot, the first card of the major arcana is the Magician depicted with one arm pointing up and the other pointing down signifying “as above, so below.” On the table before  him are the representations of the four basic elements – earth (pentacles), wind (swords), fire (wands) and water (cups) – all controlled by the same doctrine.  


Reincarnation is a feature of Hermeticism.  "O son, how many bodies we have to pass through, how many bands of demons, through how many series of repetitions and cycles of the stars, before we hasten to the One alone?”<ref>http://oneworldawaken.blogspot.com/p/occultism.html</ref> Reincarnation has been a problem for the Catholic Church ever since it was banned from the official books at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.   Prior to this reincarnation was an accepted part of the Catholic doctrine.  
The Hermetica put forth three types of wisdom &ndash; [[Alchemy]], [[Astrology]], and [[Theurgy]].  Alchemy is the operation of the sun or the striving for perfection.  Astrology is the operation of the stars, their influences upon the human being, and the work required to rise above the influences of the heavens. Theurgy is the operation of the gods or magic.


Hermeticism and [[Gnosticism]] are often considered to be closely associated since the both seek gnosis but while they share many characteristics, their fundamental attitudes toward life is completely opposite.  Gnosticism sees the world as a dark, evil place filled with demons to be overcome and a constant struggle to attain higher and higher levels of spiritual reality. Their goal is to escape from it, seeking salvation through gnosis.  The hermetic man’s view of the world is not dark, he views it as evidence of beauty and divine harmony.  Instead of escaping the world he wants more knowledge of the world in order to expand himself, to realize his full potential in the world.  He works to free himself from the influence of the planetary spheres (astrological domination).  He would read his horoscope in the morning paper not to see what his day has in store but to know how to master his fate.  He sees beauty in the world and continues to be in love with Nature.
Seven principles are presented in the Hermetica:


Between the time they were written, believed to be anywhere from 100 BC to 300 and 1463 AD, Hermetic writings and thought seem to have gone underground in Europe. What happened to bring them back out into the open was in 1463 a monk in the employ of Cosimo de Medici’s rediscovered the Hermetic works in Macedonia. Cosimo was so anxious to read about Hermeticism before he died (apparently being close at that point) that he had his scribe stop work on translating Plato and work on the writing of Hermes instead.  It seems Hermes influence had not lost its audience but instead the followers had become more cautious.  Though Hermeticism had a shaping effect on the Catholic Church it was not overt or direct.
1. '''The Principle of Mentalism''': The All is mind; The Universe is Mental.<br>
2. '''The Principle of Correspondence''': As above, so below; as below, so above. As within, so without; as without, so within.<br>
3. '''The Principle of Vibration''': Nothing rests; Everything moves; Everything vibrates.<br>
4. '''The Principle of Polarity''': Everything is dual; Everything has poles; Like and unlike are the same; Opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;  All truths, are but half-truths; All paradoxes may be reconciled.<br>
5. '''The Principle of Rhythm''': Everything flows, out and in; Everything has its tides; All things rise and fall; The pendulum swing manifests in everything. Rhythm compensates.<br>
6. '''The Principle of Cause & Effect''': Every cause has its effect; Every effect has its cause; Everything happens according to law.<br>
7. '''The Principle of Gender''': Gender is in everything; Everything has its masculine and feminine principles; Gender manifests on all planes.


== Influence of Hermeticism ==


== '''The Hermetic Revolution''' ==
Hermeticism has influenced some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient and modern worlds.


=== In Renaissance thought ===


Marsilio Ficino, Cosimo De Medici’s scribe who hurriedly translated the newly unearthed Hermetic documents in 1463, was profoundly affected by the information he acquired from the writings, in fact, the Hermetic texts had a profound influence on all of Western culture. It is commonly believed that the rediscovery of Plato’s teachings fueled the Renaissance but Hermes impact is believed to be far greater than Plato’s.  
'''Marsilio Ficino''', Cosimo De Medici’s scribe who translated the newly unearthed Hermetic documents in 1463, was profoundly affected by the information he acquired from the writings. Ficino became a Roman Catholic priest and a high ranking official at the Cathedral of Florence. He hoped to merge Hermetic concepts into the Catholic religion but the Inquisition was still operational so he had to be extremely careful.


Ficino eventually became a Roman Catholic priest and a high ranking official at the Cathedral of Florence. He hoped to synthesize Hermetics into the Catholic religion but the Inquisition was still operational so he had to be extremely careful. Ficino, and most early Hermetic scholars, downplayed Hermes by placing his life after one of the heroes of the Catholic Church, Moses, all the time knowing that Hermes lived at least as far back as pre-pharaoh days of Egypt.  Nevertheless, they referred to him as a contemporary of Moses, sometimes Moses himself.  
'''[[Pico della Mirandola|Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]]''', a student of Ficino, was a Renaissance philosopher famous for his ''Oration on the Dignity of Man''. Pico studied the mystical writings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster, Moses, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Christian theology, Islamic philosophy, and the Hebrew Qabalah.<ref>Katinka Hesselink, Katinka.http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/PicoDellaMirandola.htm "Pico della Mirandola"]  Accessed on 3/25/2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-biographies/giovanni-pico-della-mirandola "Pico della Mirandolla, Giovanni"]. Accessed on 3/25/2022.</ref> Along with Ficino, he followed the doctrine of '''''Prisca Theologia''''', holding that one true theology &ndash; the real basis for all religions &ndash; was given to mankind in antiquity.  


It was the magical religion of the Egyptians, the talismanic skills that supposedly could draw the powers of the stars into material objects here on earth that fascinated Ficino.  Magic of any kind was forbidden by the Church so he was treading a dangerous path.  Ficino managed to avoid the Inquisition but his student, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, did not fare as well.
'''[[Giordano Bruno]]''' (1548-1600) was also deeply influenced by hermeticism, along with [[astrology]] and [[Rosicrucianism]]. He developed a cosmology in which he viewed the universe as infinite and eternal; with a heliocentric model of the solar system; and the divinity, unity, and interdependence of all things.


Giovanni Pico della Mirandola was born into an extremely wealthy and influential family.  He met Ficino in 1484.  Pico was already well versed in the Hermetica, The Chaldean Oracles and the Kabbala.  It was his very bold and ambitious plan to synthesize the pagan, Christian and Hebrew belief systems and he was not cautious, as Ficino had been.  Frances Yates says that Pico married Hermeticism and Cabalism inventing a type of magic called Christian Hermetic-Cabala which was to have far reaching effects.  He was arrested by the Inquisition but he pulled some strings and was released.  Pico died under mysterious circumstances when he was only thirty-one.
=== In Theosophy ===
'''THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''<br>
'''THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''<br>


In the following century the next great, perhaps the greatest champion of Hermeticism was born – Giordano Bruno. He was brilliant, reckless and argumentative. He studied to be a Dominican monk.  Ironically papal Inquisitors were Dominicans.  But he was not to remain a Dominican. At the age of twenty-eight he denounced the order and publically and very emotionally defrocked himself.  Bruno was a resolute Hermeticist who cherished the dream of complete restoration of Hermeticism.  He wanted nothing less than to replace the Church with Hermeticism.  
The seven principles of Hermeticism are essential elements of [[Theosophy]], as they are also in [[Rosicrucianism]].


Bruno travelled extensively and wrote.  His most important book was titled “''Spaccio della Bestia Trionfante''” or “The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast.”  The title had a dual meaning. In his dedication he writes that he means by “triumphant beast” the “vices which dominate, and oppose the divine part of the soul.”<ref>Yates, Frances A. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971. Print. P. 290</ref> The occult meaning the “triumphant beast” is the pope and his entire religion.  Bruno was not subtle. His writings brought him the attention of the Catholic Church and he spent several years avoiding the Holy Inquisition. But in March of 1592, on the run from the Church, Bruno stayed too long in Italy and was arrested for heresy.  The next eight years were spent in the torturous custody of the Inquisitors. In February 1600, he was burned at the stake.   
According to Theosophy, “Thoth-Hermes was one of the King-Instructors, the '[[Sons of the Fire]],' who began in [[Lemuria]] in the Third Race to instruct infant humanity in the arts and sciences. The Egyptians always regarded Thoth-Hermes as a symbol of the Third Race. But in whichever of his characters Hermes appears, he is always credited as the first to teach the science of magic to the Egyptians.”<ref>Author Unknown, "Great Theosophists – Alchemy and the Alchemists" ''Theosophy'' 25 no. 11 (September, 1937), 490-496.</ref>


=== In modern thought ===


== '''Hermes and Alchemy and Medicine''' ==
'''Green Hermeticism''' is a movement arising from a 2003 conference on "Sacred Theory of Earth" in New Paltz, New York. Participants included Christopher Bamford, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Kevin Townley and Pir Zia Inayat Khan, and various other
"hermeticists, poets, Christians, Buddhists, neo-pagans, Sufis, and assorted heretics."<ref>Christopher Bamford, "Green Hermeticism: ''Quest'' 97 no.2 (Spring, 2009), 54-59, 63.</ref> They explored the application of alchemical principles to environmental science.
<blockquote>
Green Hermeticism seeks to found a new, truly spiritual ecology: a new Hermetic culture, in which the earth will once again become the temple of the cosmos, with every human being a healing priest or priestess. In practice, this means a renewed understanding of the earth as a cosmic being that awaits human collaboration to awaken to its true destiny.<ref>Bamford, 54-59, 63.</ref>
</blockquote>


[[File:TheCaduceus.png|right|300px|thumb|The Caduceus]]
In a completely different approach to modern hermeticism, Joseph Rodrigues, Colton Swabb, and others have focused on the application of Hermetic concepts to achieve '''prosperity'''. There are many books and websites proposing this approach as a form of [[thought power]].


=== In science and medicine ===
[[File:TheCaduceus.png|right|150px|thumb|The Caduceus]]
Study of hermeticism led humanity toward modern science and medicine.


The caduceus is the symbol for Hermes.   It is also the symbol used for modern medicine.
[[Alchemy]] is the study of how to purify and transmute human beings to realize their divine potential. The early alchemists combined chemical notations with ancient mythologies into a symbolic language to convey their spiritual experiences when words were inadequate. The idea that man should control his destiny rather than be a victim to the influence of the stars led to the concept of influencing or controlling nature.  This was of great interest to the developing discipline of science. '''Sir Isaac Newton''', for example, studyied the ''Corpus Hermeticum'' &ndash; in secret, due to the powerful Church’s disapproval of alchemy.  
It is unknown how the caduceus came to be the symbol of Hermes.  One of the many stories says that Hermes came upon two snakes locked in mortal combat, he separated them with his staff and acting as mediator brought peace between them by suggesting an alchemical reconciliation. As snakes shed their skin and appear to be reborn, this connects them to both magic and medicine.  


The words Hermeticism and Alchemy are almost used interchangeably and the Catholic violently opposed any form of alchemy. Alchemy in its public representation was the study of changing base metal into gold.  The occult meaning had to do with the purification and empowerment of man via Hermetics. Alchemy was not about the study of changing base metal in gold, it was about the process of changing oneself which was only possible if one understood the divine nature of mankind.  The aspiration was to rise above the Nature that man is born into.  Man transmutes his life to realize his true divine potential.  
The secrecy surrounding alchemy led to many misunderstandings concerning what alchemy intended to accomplish. Interest in the exoteric view of alchemy converting base metal to gold, took the direction of developing the modern science of chemistry. The efforts of [[Paracelsus]], also misunderstanding the true nature of alchemy, led to the beginning of pharmacology.  


Alchemists, trying both to obscure but also express the true meaning of their texts, used chemical symbols and Roman and Greek mythology. They combined many concepts into a language that would express what they experienced but words were inadequate to describe an actual spiritual experience. Alchemists used images they created and also myths and allegories.  The student needed to learn how think and feel what those images conveyed.  An intellectual approach would never yield the true secrets of the alchemy of self-transformation.  
The '''caduceus''' that has become the symbol used for modern medicine comes directly from hermeticism. The serpent was a symbol of wisdom associated with Hermes-Thoth in ancient times. One story of how the caduceus was created tells that when Hermes came upon two snakes locked in mortal combat, he separated them with his staff and acting as mediator brought peace between them by suggesting an alchemical reconciliation. Snakes shed their skins and appear to be reborn, and are connected symbolically to both magic and medicine.


The idea that man should control his destiny rather than be a victim to the influence of the stars led to the concept of influencing or controlling nature.  This was of great interest to the developing discipline of science.  Sir Isaac Newton took great interest in Hermetics, thoroughly studying the Corpus Hermeticum, in secret, of course, due to the Church’s powerful disapproval of alchemy.
== Additional resources ==


The secrecy surrounding alchemy led to many misunderstandings concerning what alchemy was all about but this has proven to have contributed greatly to mankind.  People interested in converting base metal to gold ended up creating chemistry. The efforts of Paracelsus, also misunderstanding the true nature of alchemy, led to the beginning of pharmacology.
'''SEE ALSO''' '''[[William Walker Atkinson]]'''.


== '''Conclusion''' ==
=== Hermetic writings ===


Theosophy says that Hermes was a King-Instructor of the Third Race. The Third Race existed in Lemuria.   Many instructors of the early human races, including the Third Race were not of this world but brought from other planets to guide the humanity in its development. According to William Scott-Elliott and Charles Leadbeater in ''The Story of Atlantis and Lost Lemuria'', Venus, then a highly evolved race themselves, assisted in the education of earthlings.  In this light it is not difficult to imagine Hermes being responsible for music, chemistry, law, art, astrology, magic, mathematics, philosophy, etc, etc, etc.  
See also [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetica Hermetica] in Wikipedia for a detailed list.


The actual years when Lemuria existed is not known but working backward in time if the last island of Atlantis submerged in 11,580 BC and Atlantean civilization lasted four to five million years and the teachings of Hermes came to us from pre-Atlantean Lemuria, it is mind-boggling to consider how long the Hermeticism has been part of the human race.  
* '''''[http://www.gnosis.org/library/hermet.htm#CH The Corpus Hermeticum]''''' at the Gnostic Society Library. London: George Redway, 1884.
* '''''[https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/pym/index.htm The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus]''''' at Sacred-Texts.com. Translated from the Arabic by John Everard. 1650.
* '''''[http://iapsop.com/ssoc/1884__everard_jennings___divine_pymander.pdf The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus]''''' at IAPSOP. Translated from the Arabic by John Everard. 1650. London: George Redway, 1884.
* '''''[https://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm The Emerald Tablet]''''' at Sacred-Texts.com. This site provides several translations of the work, with commentaries.


=== Books about Hermeticism ===


* Bamford, Christopher, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Kevin Townley and Pir Zia Inayat Khan. ''Green Hermeticism: Alchemy and Ecology''. Lindisfarne Books, 2007.
* Copenhaver, Brian P. ''[https://ia802801.us.archive.org/17/items/hermetica.thegreekcorpushermeticumandthelatinasclepiustranslatedbybriancopenhaver/Hermetica.%20The%20Greek%20Corpus%20Hermeticum%20and%20the%20Latin%20Asclepius%20translated%20by%20Brian%20Copenhaver.pdf Hermetica: The Greek C. H. and the Latin Asclepius in a new English translation with notes and introduction]''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Highly recommended.


== '''Further Reading''' ==
* Fowden, Garth. ''The Egyptian Hermes''. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986. This author is one of the best modern scholars on Hermetica.


* Hancock, Graham, and Robert Bauval. ''Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith''. London: Michael Joseph, 2004.


Hancock, Graham, and Robert Bauval. ''Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith''. London: Michael Joseph, 2004. Print.
* Lachman, Gary. ''The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World''. , 2011.  


Hermes and G R. S. Mead. ''Thrice-greatest Hermes: Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis, Being a Translation of the Extant Sermons and Fragments of the Trismegistic Literature, with Prolegomena, Commentaries, and Notes.'' London: J.M. Watkins, 1964. Print.
* Mead, G. R. S. ''Thrice-greatest Hermes: Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis, Being a Translation of the Extant Sermons and Fragments of the Trismegistic Literature, with Prolegomena, Commentaries, and Notes.'' London: J.M. Watkins, 1964.  


Lachman, Gary. ''The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World''. , 2011. Print.
* Salaman, Clement, and Hermes. ''The Way of Hermes: Translations of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius.'' Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2000.  


Salaman, Clement, and Hermes. ''The Way of Hermes: Translations of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius.'' Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2000. Print.
* Wilson, Colin. ''From Atlantis to the Sphinx''. New York: Fromm International Pub, 1997.  


Wilson, Colin. ''From Atlantis to the Sphinx''. New York: Fromm International Pub, 1997. Print
* Yates, Frances A. ''Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition.'' Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1964.


Yates, Frances A. ''Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition.'' Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1964. Print.
=== Articles ===


* [https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sunrise/55-05-6/me-elo4.htm "The Emerald Tablet"] by Eloise Hart. Originally published in ''Sunrise magazine'', April/May 2006.
* [https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/green-hermeticism "Green Hermeticism"] by Christopher Bamford. Orginally published in ''Quest'' 97 no. 2 (Spring, 2009), 54-59, 63.
* [https://www.theosophy.world/encyclopedia/hermeticism Hermeticism] in Theosophy World.
* [https://www.theosophy.world/encyclopedia/fire-philosophers Fire Philosophers] in Theosophy World.
* [https://www.theosophy.world/encyclopedia/chaldean-book-numbers Chaldean Book of Numbers] in Theosophy World.
* [https://www.theosophy.world/encyclopedia/albertus-magnus Albertus Magnus] in Theosophy World.


== '''Internet Sources''' ==
=== Websites ===


* [http://www.gnosis.org/library/ The Gnostic Archive].
* [https://blogs.uoregon.edu/rel399f14drreis/hermeticism/ Hermeticism].
* [https://medium.com/the-mission/the-hermetic-revival-7-ancient-principles-for-self-mastery-9399e523648d The Hermetic Revival: & Ancient Principles for Self Mastery] by Colton Swabb. Feb 26, 2018.</ref>


http://www.wisdomworld.org/setting/alchemy.html
=== Video ===


http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk/
* '''''Hermeticism and Gnosticism''''' by Stephan Hoeller
 
** Volume 1: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Svff9PiH0 Part 1] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jleRvDBfacc Part 2].
http://oneworldawaken.blogspot.com/p/occultism.html   
** Volume 2: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2UX9l6c7dI Part 1] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay2gtDHfmH4 Part 2].
 
** Volume 3: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rrm8Va-NEA Part 1] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf_m232kd28 Part 2].
 
** Volume 4: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oz-vSoqyVc Part 1] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_tBTdqHme4 Part 2].
== Additional resources==
* '''''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoPtrb2eMCQ What is Hermeticism?]''''' in Esoterica YouTube channel. Posted May 28, 2021.
===Video===
* '''''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KupaADzq88g Hermeticism and Ancient Astrology]'''''. A discussion about the ancient philosophy of Hermeticism and its relationship to Hellenistic astrology, with Sam Block and Chris Brennan. Feb 16, 2022.
*[http://www.theosophicalinstitute.org/medialibrary/viewtitle.php?titleid=8C3B0A67-1A44-4902-91C5-612CA7195119# Hermeticism and Gnosticism: Volume 1], [http://www.theosophicalinstitute.org/medialibrary/viewtitle.php?titleid=25B129D6-C464-4D82-B30F-7E16E66C114A# Volume 2], [http://www.theosophicalinstitute.org/medialibrary/viewtitle.php?titleid=F62853C5-3B3D-4C1B-AC3B-87F7E2560F16# Volume 3], and [http://www.theosophicalinstitute.org/medialibrary/viewtitle.php?titleid=FB7EFB48-ADCF-47E7-B5DD-8907383A4A75# Volume 4] by Stephan Hoeller
* '''''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8TSCGoSsME The Kybalian by The Three Initiates (The Seven Hermetic Principles)]''''' by Joseph Rodrigues. This presenter focuses on using the seven principles and especially thought power to achieve prosperity, in the tradition of Napoleon Hill's ''Think and Grow Rich''.


== Notes ==
<references/>


[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Western Esotericism]]
[[Category:Western Esotericism]]
[[Category:Schools of Thought]]
[[Category:Schools of Thought]]

Latest revision as of 03:15, 21 January 2024

Medieval Drawing of Hermes Trismegistus

Hermeticism is a philosophical system based on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary combination of the Greek god Hermes, his Roman counterpart Mercury, and the Egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth.

Origins of Hermeticism

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Hermeticism professes a lineage from a prisca theologia, an ancient theology underlying all religions. Historians believe that the origins of the Hermetic school of thought go back to Hellenistic Egypt, around 400-100 BCE.

Foundational writings

The Hermetic teachings are collectively known as Hermetica. Hermes Trismegistus, or his followers, are credited with writing forty-two books according to Clement of Alexander[1]. Clement described the sacred ceremonial of the ancient Egyptians as requiring use of hermetic books containing "the hymns of the gods and rules of conduct for the kings."[2] Four books are related to astrology and others are alchemical. Another group presents philosophical concepts in the form of dialogues, in the style of Plato. Among the best-known works are Corpus Hermeticum and The Emerald Tablet. The original works were written in Greek and Arabic. In 1948, an additional work was discovered in the Nag Hammadi Collection: The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth, which seems to be in initiation rite. It is now considered to be the eighteenth treatise of the Corpus Hermeticum. A Greek version of parts of the 6th treatise in the Corpus Hermeticum was also found at Nag Hammadi.

The writings that are now available to us were almost certainly altered or sanitized by Christian interpreters, and represent only a fraction of the original occult teachings. Egyptologist James Bonwick wrote:

They are more or less touched up by the Platonic philosophers among the early Christians (such as Origen and Clemens Alexandrinus) who sought to substantiate their Christian arguments by appeals to these heathen and revered writings, though they could not resist the temptation of making them say a little too much."[3]

The Divine Pymander, often cited as a separate work, is actually the first treatise within the Corpus Hermeticum. Pymander or Poimandres means "the divine Thought" or "man-shepherd." The personified Nous appears to Hermes Trismegistus to give him instruction in esoteric concepts; in other words the great universal mind provides guidance as a shepherd to mankind.

Corpus Hermeticum

The Corpus Hermeticum became available as a manuscript in the fifteenth century, although the work was much older. Thought to have been written anywhere from 100 BCE to 1462 CE, the writings were lost or underground until 1452, when the document was rediscovered in Macedonia. Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) began translating the Corpus from Greek into Latin. He completed translation of the first fourteen treatises, and Lodovico Lazzarelli (1447–1500) translated the remaining three.[4][5]

Hermetic illustration of astrological medicine, Iatromathematica

The treatises within the Corpus include:

  1. Discourse of Poimandres to Hermes Trismegistus – also known as The Divine Pymander
  2. Hermes to Asclepius
  3. A sacred discourse of Hermes
  4. A discourse of Hermes to Tat: The mixing bowl or the monad
  5. A discourse of Hermes to Tat, his son: That god is invisible and entirely visible
  6. Hermes to Asclepius: That the good is in god alone and nowhere else
  7. That the greatest evil in mankind is ignorance concerning god
  8. Hermes to Tat: That none of the things that are is destroyed, and they are mistaken who say that changes are deaths and destructions
  9. Hermes to Asclepius: On understanding and sensation: [That the beautiful and good are in god alone and nowhere else]
  10. Hermes to Tat: The key
  11. Mind (Nous) to Hermes
  12. Hermes to Tat: On the mind shared in common
  13. Hermes to Tat, a secret dialogue on the mountain: On being born again, and on the promise to be silent
  14. Hermes to Asclepius: health of mind
  15. Asclepius to King Ammon: Definitions on god, matter, vice, fate, the sun, intellectual essence, divine essence, mankind, the arrangement of the plenitude, the seven stars, and mankind according to the image
  16. Asclepius to King Ammon
  17. Tat to a king: On the soul hindered by the body's affections

The Emerald Tablet

The Emerald Tablet or Smaragdine Tablet, was written in a manner that is intentionally enigmatic to obscure the meaning to all but those trained in alchemy. The Tablet presents some of the most basic concepts in occultism, including "As above, so below":

It is true, no lie, certain, to be depended upon: What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below to accomplish the wonders of one thing. As all things were produced by the mediation of one being, so all things were produced from this one by adaptation. Its father is the sun, its mother is the moon. It is the cause of all perfection throughout the whole earth. Its power is perfect if it is changed into earth. Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, acting prudently and with judgment. Ascend with the greatest sagacity from the earth to heaven, and then descend again to earth, and unite together the power of things inferior and superior; thus you will possess the light of the whole world, and all obscurity will fly away from you. This thing has more fortitude than fortitude itself, because it will overcome every subtle thing and penetrate every solid thing. By it the world was formed.

It emphasizes that a person cannot separate himself from Nature:

Within us there lies a mysterious force that tends in all directions, spreading from a center hidden in infinite depths. If wondrous nature, the nature of the senses and the nature that is not of the senses, surrounds us, we believe this force to be an attraction of nature, an effect of our sympathy with her.

Concepts of Hermeticism

As Christopher Bamford has written, " Hermeticism is the sacred science of realizing and enhancing the subtle states of both the human being and the universe, which correspond to each other."[6]

Fundamental to understanding Hermeticism is a knowledge or gnosis that cannot be taught. Gnosis reveals in an experiential way the total unity of everything in the universe. Hermeticism is not a religion of faith or belief; it is about knowing that requires no trust in something unseen or unproven. Frances Yates describes Hermeticism as a religion "without temples or liturgy, followed in the mind alone."[7] The ways of opening oneself to gnosis can be taught to an aspirant but the experience itself is a direct, intuitive, very personal grasp of divine reality and the unity of everything. Achieving this gnosis or cosmic consciousness is necessary to the hermeticist because this is how he becomes fully human.

Belief in reincarnation is another feature of Hermeticism. "O son, how many bodies we have to pass through, how many bands of demons, through how many series of repetitions and cycles of the stars, before we hasten to the One Alone?”[8]

Another aspect of Hermeticism is the belief that Man is the equal of God. "If you do not make yourself the equal of God you cannot understand him. Like is understood by Like."[9]

Command your soul to go anywhere, and it will be there quicker than your command. Bid it to go to the ocean and it will need no wings... Suppose nothing to be impossible to you. Conceive yourself to be in all places at the same time; in earth, in the sea, in heaven; that you are not born yet, that you are within the womb, that you are young, old, dead. Conceive all things at once; times, places, actions, qualities and quantities; then you can understand God.[10]

Some schools of hermetic thought believe "God only knows what you know," suggesting that man’s journey on earth is a learning experience for the creator, as well as the individual.

The Magician in Tarot

This theory of God and man fits perfectly into the doctrine of "as above, so below," or the Law of Correspondences. The Smaragdine Tablet or Emerald tablet of Hermes, opens with the words:

What is below is like that which is above, and what is above is similar to that which is below.

Actions on one level of reality – physical, emotional or mental – happens on all levels. This doctrine echoes through most occult disciplines. In the Tarot, the first card of the major arcana is the Magician depicted with one arm pointing up and the other pointing down signifying “as above, so below.” On the table before him are the representations of the four basic elements – earth (pentacles), wind (swords), fire (wands) and water (cups) – all controlled by the same doctrine.

The Hermetica put forth three types of wisdom – Alchemy, Astrology, and Theurgy. Alchemy is the operation of the sun or the striving for perfection. Astrology is the operation of the stars, their influences upon the human being, and the work required to rise above the influences of the heavens. Theurgy is the operation of the gods or magic.

Seven principles are presented in the Hermetica:

1. The Principle of Mentalism: The All is mind; The Universe is Mental.
2. The Principle of Correspondence: As above, so below; as below, so above. As within, so without; as without, so within.
3. The Principle of Vibration: Nothing rests; Everything moves; Everything vibrates.
4. The Principle of Polarity: Everything is dual; Everything has poles; Like and unlike are the same; Opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; All truths, are but half-truths; All paradoxes may be reconciled.
5. The Principle of Rhythm: Everything flows, out and in; Everything has its tides; All things rise and fall; The pendulum swing manifests in everything. Rhythm compensates.
6. The Principle of Cause & Effect: Every cause has its effect; Every effect has its cause; Everything happens according to law.
7. The Principle of Gender: Gender is in everything; Everything has its masculine and feminine principles; Gender manifests on all planes.

Influence of Hermeticism

Hermeticism has influenced some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient and modern worlds.

In Renaissance thought

Marsilio Ficino, Cosimo De Medici’s scribe who translated the newly unearthed Hermetic documents in 1463, was profoundly affected by the information he acquired from the writings. Ficino became a Roman Catholic priest and a high ranking official at the Cathedral of Florence. He hoped to merge Hermetic concepts into the Catholic religion but the Inquisition was still operational so he had to be extremely careful.

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, a student of Ficino, was a Renaissance philosopher famous for his Oration on the Dignity of Man. Pico studied the mystical writings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster, Moses, Orpheus, Pythagoras, Christian theology, Islamic philosophy, and the Hebrew Qabalah.[11][12] Along with Ficino, he followed the doctrine of Prisca Theologia, holding that one true theology – the real basis for all religions – was given to mankind in antiquity.

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was also deeply influenced by hermeticism, along with astrology and Rosicrucianism. He developed a cosmology in which he viewed the universe as infinite and eternal; with a heliocentric model of the solar system; and the divinity, unity, and interdependence of all things.

In Theosophy

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The seven principles of Hermeticism are essential elements of Theosophy, as they are also in Rosicrucianism.

According to Theosophy, “Thoth-Hermes was one of the King-Instructors, the 'Sons of the Fire,' who began in Lemuria in the Third Race to instruct infant humanity in the arts and sciences. The Egyptians always regarded Thoth-Hermes as a symbol of the Third Race. But in whichever of his characters Hermes appears, he is always credited as the first to teach the science of magic to the Egyptians.”[13]

In modern thought

Green Hermeticism is a movement arising from a 2003 conference on "Sacred Theory of Earth" in New Paltz, New York. Participants included Christopher Bamford, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Kevin Townley and Pir Zia Inayat Khan, and various other "hermeticists, poets, Christians, Buddhists, neo-pagans, Sufis, and assorted heretics."[14] They explored the application of alchemical principles to environmental science.

Green Hermeticism seeks to found a new, truly spiritual ecology: a new Hermetic culture, in which the earth will once again become the temple of the cosmos, with every human being a healing priest or priestess. In practice, this means a renewed understanding of the earth as a cosmic being that awaits human collaboration to awaken to its true destiny.[15]

In a completely different approach to modern hermeticism, Joseph Rodrigues, Colton Swabb, and others have focused on the application of Hermetic concepts to achieve prosperity. There are many books and websites proposing this approach as a form of thought power.

In science and medicine

The Caduceus

Study of hermeticism led humanity toward modern science and medicine.

Alchemy is the study of how to purify and transmute human beings to realize their divine potential. The early alchemists combined chemical notations with ancient mythologies into a symbolic language to convey their spiritual experiences when words were inadequate. The idea that man should control his destiny rather than be a victim to the influence of the stars led to the concept of influencing or controlling nature. This was of great interest to the developing discipline of science. Sir Isaac Newton, for example, studyied the Corpus Hermeticum – in secret, due to the powerful Church’s disapproval of alchemy.

The secrecy surrounding alchemy led to many misunderstandings concerning what alchemy intended to accomplish. Interest in the exoteric view of alchemy converting base metal to gold, took the direction of developing the modern science of chemistry. The efforts of Paracelsus, also misunderstanding the true nature of alchemy, led to the beginning of pharmacology.

The caduceus that has become the symbol used for modern medicine comes directly from hermeticism. The serpent was a symbol of wisdom associated with Hermes-Thoth in ancient times. One story of how the caduceus was created tells that when Hermes came upon two snakes locked in mortal combat, he separated them with his staff and acting as mediator brought peace between them by suggesting an alchemical reconciliation. Snakes shed their skins and appear to be reborn, and are connected symbolically to both magic and medicine.

Additional resources

SEE ALSO William Walker Atkinson.

Hermetic writings

See also Hermetica in Wikipedia for a detailed list.

Books about Hermeticism

  • Bamford, Christopher, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Kevin Townley and Pir Zia Inayat Khan. Green Hermeticism: Alchemy and Ecology. Lindisfarne Books, 2007.
  • Fowden, Garth. The Egyptian Hermes. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986. This author is one of the best modern scholars on Hermetica.
  • Hancock, Graham, and Robert Bauval. Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith. London: Michael Joseph, 2004.
  • Lachman, Gary. The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. , 2011.
  • Mead, G. R. S. Thrice-greatest Hermes: Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis, Being a Translation of the Extant Sermons and Fragments of the Trismegistic Literature, with Prolegomena, Commentaries, and Notes. London: J.M. Watkins, 1964.
  • Salaman, Clement, and Hermes. The Way of Hermes: Translations of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2000.
  • Wilson, Colin. From Atlantis to the Sphinx. New York: Fromm International Pub, 1997.
  • Yates, Frances A. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1964.

Articles

Websites

Video

Notes

  1. ↑ The 42 Hermetic Books Cited by Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150-215 A.D.) Quoted from a Clement of Alexandria work entitled Stromata (Miscellanies), Book VI, Chapter 4.
  2. ↑ Hermes Trismegistus, or Mercurius.
  3. ↑ James Bonwick, Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought (London: Kegan Paul & Co., 1878), 390.
  4. ↑ Brian P. Copenhaver,Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), xlvii–xlviii.
  5. ↑ Wouter Hanegraaff, "Lazzarelli, Lodovico". In Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism (Leiden: Brill, 2006), 680.
  6. ↑ Christopher Bamford, "Green Hermeticism: Quest 97 no.2 (Spring, 2009), 54-59, 63.
  7. ↑ Frances A. Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), 13.
  8. ↑ Clement Salaman, Dorine Van Oyen, William D. Wharton, and Jean-Pierre Mahé. The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 2000), 33.
  9. ↑ Gary Lachman, The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World (2011), 35.
  10. ↑ Gary Lachman, The Quest for Hermes Trismegistus: From Ancient Egypt to the Modern World. (2011), 35.
  11. ↑ Katinka Hesselink, Katinka.http://www.katinkahesselink.net/his/PicoDellaMirandola.htm "Pico della Mirandola"] Accessed on 3/25/2022.
  12. ↑ "Pico della Mirandolla, Giovanni". Accessed on 3/25/2022.
  13. ↑ Author Unknown, "Great Theosophists – Alchemy and the Alchemists" Theosophy 25 no. 11 (September, 1937), 490-496.
  14. ↑ Christopher Bamford, "Green Hermeticism: Quest 97 no.2 (Spring, 2009), 54-59, 63.
  15. ↑ Bamford, 54-59, 63.
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