Hermes Trismegistus depicted in a medieval rendering.

Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs^[1] based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a wise sage and Egyptian priest, and who is commonly seen as synonymous with the Egyptian god Thoth. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Hermes Trismegistus ( Greek:, "thrice-great Hermes" Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the Syncretism of the Greek god Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities For other meanings of "Thoth" or of "Djehuti" and similar see Thoth (disambiguation. ^[2][3] These beliefs have influenced Western magic traditions and held great influence during the Renaissance^[4]. Ceremonial magic is a broad term used to encompass a wide variety of long elaborate and complex Rituals it is named as such because the works included are characterized by The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere

In Islam, the Hermetic cult was accepted in 830 CE as being the Sabians mentioned in the Qur'an. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Events By Place Europe Earliest date of composition for the Historia Brittonum, attributed to Nennius, and known for The Sabians ( صابئين, צבאים) were a religious group The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran ^[5]

Terminology

The term Hermetic is from medieval Latin hermeticus, in English attested since the 17th century as the adjective to Hermeticism (as in "Hermetic writers", Isaac Newton 1676) The synonymous Hermetical also occurs in the 17th century. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements

History

Main articles: Hermetism and Hermetica

Late Antiquity

Further information: Hellenistic religion and Decline of Hellenistic polytheism

In Late Antiquity, Hermetism^[6] emerged in parallel with Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and Early Christianity, "characterized by a resistance to the dominance of either pure rationality or doctrinal faith"^[7]

The books now known as the Corpus Hermeticum were part of a renaissance of syncretistic and intellectualized pagan thought that took place around the 2nd century. Hermetism was a religion of Late Antiquity attested in a loose corpus of Hermetica (including the Corpus Hermeticum, Asclepius Hermetica is a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Hellenistic religion comprises any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of the peoples who lived under the influence of ancient Greek culture during the Hellenistic The Hellenistic religion at the time of the Constantinian shift consisted mainly of three main currents Hellenic Polytheism, Late Antiquity (c 300-600 is a Periodization used by historians to describe the transitional centuries from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical Philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD founded by Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Hermetica is a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Syncretism consists of the attempt to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs often while melding practices of various schools of thought The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Other examples of this cultural movement would include Neoplatonist philosophy, the Chaldaean Oracles, late Orphic and Pythagorean literature, as well as much of Gnosticism. Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical Philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD founded by The Chaldean Oracles have survived as fragmentary texts from the 2nd century AD and consist mainly of Hellenistic commentary on a single mystery-poem (which may have been compilations Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in Pythagoreanism is a term used for the Esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers the Pythagoreans who were much influenced Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems

The extant Greek texts dwell upon the oneness and goodness of God, urge purification of the soul, and defend pagan religious practices, such as the veneration of images. Idolatry is usually defined as Worship of any Cult image, Idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. Many lost Greek texts, and many of the surviving vulgate books, contained discussions of alchemy clothed in philosophical metaphor. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of And one text, the Asclepius, lost in Greek but partially preserved in Latin, contained a bloody prophecy of the end of Roman rule in Egypt and the resurgence of pagan Egyptian power.

The predominant literary form is the dialogue: Hermes Trismegistus instructs a perplexed disciple on some point of hidden wisdom. Hermes Trismegistus ( Greek:, "thrice-great Hermes" Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the Syncretism of the Greek god

Renaissance

After centuries of falling out of favor, Hermeticism was reintroduced to the West when, in 1460 CE, a man named Leonardo^[8] brought the Corpus Hermeticum to Pistoia. Hermetica is a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Pistoia is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence He was one of many agents sent out by Pistoia's ruler, Cosimo de'Medici, to scour European monasteries for lost ancient writings. Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (September 27 1389 &ndash August 1 1464 was the first of the Medici political dynasty de facto rulers of ^[9]

In 1614 CE Isaac Casaubon, a Swiss philologist, analyzed the Hermetic texts for linguistic style and claimed that the Hermetic writings attributed to Trismegistus were not the work of an ancient Egyptian priest but in fact dated to the Christian Era. Isaac Casaubon ( February 18 1559 &ndash July 1 1614) was a classical scholar and Philologist, first in France Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation See Comparative linguistics for the narrower field of "comparative philology" ^[10][11] Walter Scott places their date shortly after 200 CE, while Sir W. Flinders Petrie places them between 200 and 500 BCE. ^[12] Plutarch's mention of Hermes Trismegistus dates back to the first century CE, and Tertullian, Iamblichus, and Porphyry are all familiar with Hermetic writings. Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca Porphyry of Tyre ( Greek:, c AD 233&ndashc 309 was a Phoenician Neoplatonic philosopher ^[13]

In 1945 CE, Hermetic writings were among those found near Nag Hammadi, in the form of one of the conversations between Hermes and Asclepius from the Corpus Hermeticum, and a text about the Hermetic mystery schools, On the Ogdoad and Ennead, written in the Coptic language, the last form in which the Egyptian language was written. Nag Hammadi ( Arabic نجع حمادي is a city in Upper Egypt. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine Coptic or Coptic Egyptian ( MetRemenkīmi) is the final stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt ^[14]

Hermeticism as a religion

Not all Hermeticists take a religious approach, some consider it to be a philosophical system only. In Hermetic religion the supreme Deity, or Principle, is referred to variously as 'God', 'The All', or 'The One'. Many Hermeticists also align their beliefs and mystical ideas with other religions, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, mainstream Paganism, or Islam. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Many hold that all great religions have equivalent mystical truths at their core, and that all religions share an understanding of esoteric tenets with Hermeticism.

Tobias Churton, scholar of obscure religious movements, states that "the Hermetic tradition was both moderate and flexible, offering a tolerant philosophical religion, a religion of the (omnipresent) mind, a purified perception of God, the cosmos, and the self, and much positive encouragement for the spiritual seeker, all of which the student could take anywhere. "^[15]

Religious and philosophical texts

Though many more have been falsely attributed to the work of Hermes Trismegistus, Hermeticists commonly accept there to have been forty two books to his credit. However, most of these books are reported to have been destroyed when the Great Library of Alexandria was razed. The Royal Library of Alexandria or Ancient Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was once the largest library in the ancient world There is some debate as to who destroyed the library. See Great Library of Alexandria for more information. The Royal Library of Alexandria or Ancient Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was once the largest library in the ancient world

There are three major works which are widely known texts for Hermetic beliefs:

The Corpus Hermeticum is the body of work most widely known and is the aforementioned Greek texts. Hermetica is a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great These sixteen books are set up as dialogues between Hermes and a series of others. The first book involves a discussion between Poimandres (also known as Nous and God) and Hermes, supposedly resulting from a meditative state, and is the first time that Hermes is in contact with God. Poimandres ( Poemandres, also known as Poemander or Pimander) is a chapter in the Corpus Hermeticum. Poimandres teaches the secrets of the Universe to Hermes, and later books are generally of Hermes teaching others such as Asclepius and his son Tat. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus is a short work which coins the well known term in occult circles "As above, so below. The Emerald Tablet, also known as Smaragdine Table, Tabula Smaragdina, or The Secret of Hermes, is a text purporting The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" " The actual text of that maxim, as translated by Dennis W. According to Immanuel Kant, a maxim is a subjective principle or rule that the will of an individual uses in making a decision Hauck is "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracle of the One Thing. "^[16] The tablet also references the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe, to which Hermes claims his knowledge of these three parts is why he received the name Trismegistus (thrice great, or Ao-Ao-Ao meaning "greatest"). As the story is told, this tablet was found by Alexander the Great at Hebron supposedly in the tomb of Hermes. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south ^[17]

The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy, is a book published in 1912 CE anonymously by three people calling themselves the "Three Initiates". The Kybalion Hermetic Philosophy is a 1908 book claiming to be the essence of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, published anonymously by a group or person under the pseudonym Many of the Hermetic principles are explained in the book.

The three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe

One account of how Hermes Trismegistus received the name "Trismegistus," meaning "Thrice Great," is because, as he claims in The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, he knows the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe. The Emerald Tablet, also known as Smaragdine Table, Tabula Smaragdina, or The Secret of Hermes, is a text purporting ^[18] The three parts of the wisdom are alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems Theurgy (from Greek θεουργία) describes the practice of Rituals sometimes seen as magical in nature performed with the intention of Marsilio Ficino's opinion was that "they called him Trismegistos because he was the greatest philosopher and the greatest priest and the greatest king. "^[19] Another explanation, in the Suda (10th century), is that "He was called Trismegistos on account of his praise of the trinity, saying there is one divine nature in the trinity. "^[20] This last is an example of how Hermes Trismegistus was adopted by Christianity to serve its own particular purposes.

Alchemy - The Operation of the Sun - is not simply the changing of physical lead into physical gold. Alchemy a part of the Occult Tradition is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 ^[21] It is an investigation into the spiritual constitution, or life of matter and material existence through an application of the mysteries of birth, death and resurrection. ^[22] The various stages of chemical distillation and fermentation, among them, are aspects of these mysteries, that, when applied quicken Nature's processes in order to bring a natural body to perfection. Distillation is a method of separating Mixtures based on differences in their volatilities in a boiling liquid mixture Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions ^[23] This perfection is the accomplishment of the Magnum opus (Latin for Great Work). Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera) from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the best the greatest

Astrology - The Operation of the Moon - Hermes claims that Zoroaster discovered this part of the wisdom of the whole universe, astrology, and taught it to man. Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت ^[24] In Hermetic thought, it is likely that the movements of the planets have meaning beyond the laws of physics and actually holding metaphorical value as symbols in the mind of The All, or God. The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The Astrology has influences upon the Earth, but does not dictate our actions, and wisdom is gained when we know what these influences are and how to deal with them.

Theurgy - The Operation of the Stars - There are two different types of magic, according to Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Apology, completely opposite of one another. Theurgy (from Greek θεουργία) describes the practice of Rituals sometimes seen as magical in nature performed with the intention of A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the Energy on Earth Count Giovanni Pico della Mirandola ( February 24, 1463 - November 17, 1494) was an Italian Renaissance Philosopher. The first is γοητεια, Goëtia, black magic reliant upon an alliance with evil spirits (i. see The Goetia for the 1904 book by Crowley and Mathers la Goetia ( Middle Latin, anglicized goety e. demons). The second is Theurgy, divine magic reliant upon an alliance with divine spirits (i. Theurgy (from Greek θεουργία) describes the practice of Rituals sometimes seen as magical in nature performed with the intention of e. angels, archangels, gods). ^[25]

Theurgy translates to "The Science or art of Divine Works" and is the practical aspect of the Hermetic art of alchemy. ^[26] Furthermore, alchemy is seen as the "key" to theurgy,^[27] the ultimate goal of which is to become united with higher counterparts, leading to the attainment of Divine Consciousness. ^[28]

Hermetic beliefs

Hermeticism encompasses both panentheism and Monistic-polytheism within its belief system, which teaches that there is The All, or one "Cause", of which we, and the entire universe, are all a part. Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy Also it subscribes to the notion that other beings such as gods and angels, ascended masters and elementals exist in the Universe. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Ascended Masters, in the Ascended Master Teachings is derived from the Theosophical concept of Masters of Wisdom or "Mahatmas". An elemental is a mythological being first appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus. The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy

Classical elements

Main article: Classical elements

The four classical elements of earth, water, air, and fire are used often in alchemy, and are alluded to several times in the Corpus Hermeticum. Many ancient philosophies used a set of archetypal classical "elements" to explain patterns in Nature. Earth, home and origin of humanity has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition Water has been important to all peoples of the earth and it is rich in spiritual tradition In traditional cultures air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance Fire has been an important part of many cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization

As above, so below

The Magician displaying the Hermetic concept of "as above, so below. The Magician The Magus or The Juggler (I is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a " Occultists of the 18th and 19th centuries have speculated that Tarot may be based on The Book of Thoth. The tarot (also known as tarocchi, tarock or similar names is typically a set of seventy-eight cards comprised of twenty-one trump cards, one See also " The Book of Thoth " by Aleister Crowley, describing the philosophy and use of his Thoth Tarot deck

These words circulate throughout occult and magical circles, and they come from Hermetic texts. The concept was first laid out in The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, in the words "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing. The Emerald Tablet, also known as Smaragdine Table, Tabula Smaragdina, or The Secret of Hermes, is a text purporting "^[29]

In accordance with the various levels of reality: physical, mental, and spiritual, this relates that what happens on any level happens on every other. This is however more often used in the sense of the microcosm and the macrocosm. Macrocosm and microcosm is an ancient Greek schema of seeing the same patterns reproduced in all levels of the Cosmos, from the largest scale (macrocosm or universe-level The microcosm is oneself, and the macrocosm is the universe. The macrocosm is as the microcosm, and vice versa; within each lies the other, and through understanding one (usually the microcosm) you can understand the other. ^[30]

Reincarnation

There are mentions in Hermeticism about reincarnation. As Hermes states:

"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?"^[31]

Morality, good and evil

Hermes explains in Book 9 of the Corpus Hermeticum that Nous brings forth both good and evil, depending on if he receives input from God or from the demons. The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The God brings good, while the demons bring evil. Among those things brought by demons are:

"adultery, murder, violence to one's father, sacrilege, ungodliness, strangling, suicide from a cliff and all such other demonic actions. "^[32]

This provides a clearcut view that Hermeticism does indeed include a sense of morality. However, the word good is used very strictly, to be restricted to use to the Supreme Good, God. ^[33] It is only God (in the sense of the Supreme Good, not The All) who is completely free of evil to be considered good. Men are exempt of having the chance of being good, for they have a body, consumed in the physical nature, ignorant of the Supreme Good. ^[34]

Among those things which are considered extremely sinful, is the focus on the material life, said to be the only thing that offends God:

"As processions passing in the road cannot achieve anything themselves yet still obstruct others, so these men merely process through the universe, led by the pleasures of the body. "^[35]

It is troublesome to oneself to have no "children". This is a symbolic description, not to mean physical, biological children, but rather creations. Immediately before this claim, it is explained that God is "the Father" because it has authored all things, it creates. Whether father or mother, one must create, do something positive in their life, as the Supreme Good is a "generative power". The curse for not having "children" is to be imprisoned to a body, neither male (active) nor female (thoughtful), leaving that person with a type of sterility, that of being unable to accomplish anything. ^[36]

Creation legend

The tale is given in the first book of the Corpus Hermeticum by God's Nous to Hermes Trismegistus after much meditation. Hermetica is a category of popular Late Antique literature purporting to contain secret wisdom and generally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The Nous (ˈnuːs Greek: or) is a philosophical term for Mind or Intellect. Hermes Trismegistus ( Greek:, "thrice-great Hermes" Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the Syncretism of the Greek god It begins as the ALL creates the elements after seeing the Cosmos and creating one just like it (our Cosmos) from its own constituent elements and souls. In its most general sense a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system From there, the ALL, being both male (Divine Father) and female (Universal Mother), holding the Word (the logos), gave birth to a second Nous, creator of the world. Male (♂ refers to the sex of an organism or part of an organism which produces small mobile Gametes called spermatozoa. Female (♀ is the Sex of an Organism, or a part of an organism which produces ova (egg cells This second Nous created seven powers, or deities, (often seen as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and the Moon) to travel in circles and govern destiny. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

The Word then leaps forth from the materializing elements, which made them unintelligent. Nous then made the governors spin, and from their matter sprang forth creatures without speech. Earth then was separated from Water and the animals (other than Man) were brought forth from the Earth.

The Supreme Nous then created Man, androgynous, in his own image and handed over his creation. Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ ( anér, meaning man and γυνή ( gyné, meaning woman that can refer to either of two Man carefully observed the creation of his brother, the lesser Nous, and received his and his Father's authority over it all. Man then rose up above the spheres' paths to better view the creation, and then showed the form of the ALL to Nature. Nature fell in love with it, and Man, seeing a similar form to his own reflecting in the water fell in love with Nature and wished to dwell in it. Immediately Man became one with Nature and became a slave to its limitations such as gender and sleep. Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social Man thus became speechless (for it lost the Word) and became double, being mortal in body but immortal in spirit, having authority of all but subject to destiny. The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual

The tale does not specifically contradict the theory of evolution, other than for Man, but most Hermeticists fully accept evolutionary theory as a solid grounding for the creation of everything from base matter to Man. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 ^[37]

Hermetic brotherhoods

Hermeticism, being opposed by the Church, became a part of the occult underworld, intermingling with other occult movements and practices. The infusion of Hermeticism into occultism has given it great influence in Western magical traditions. Hermeticism's spiritual practices were found very useful in magical work, especially in Theurgic (divine) practices as opposed to Goëtic (profane) practices, due to the religious context from which Hermeticism sprang forth.

Using the teachings and imagery of the Jewish Kabbalah and Christian mysticism, Hermetic Theurgy was used effectively and in a context more easily understood by Europeans in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Christian Mysticism is traditionally practised through the disciplines of Prayer (including oratio meditation and Contemplation

A few primarily Hermetic occult orders were founded in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Hermetic magic underwent a 19th century revival in Western Europe,^[38] where it was practiced by people such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Aurum Solis, Ragon, Kenneth M. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of Mackenzie, Eliphas Lévi, Frederick Hockley, William Butler Yeats, and Arthur Machen. Eliphas Lévi, born Alphonse Louis Constant, ( February 8, 1810 - May 31, 1875) was a French Occult author Arthur Machen (ˈmækən ( March 3, 1863 &ndash December 15, 1947) was a leading Welsh Author of the 1890s ^[39] An example of a society existing as recently as the 1960s would be the Sacred Fraternity of the Cross. The Sacred Fraternity of the Cross is an Hermetic society founded by Alexander Guilford (known in the order as Frater Auriel in London during the 1930s

Rosicrucianism

Main article: Rosicrucian

Rosicrucianism was a Hermetic/Christian movement dating back to the 15th century. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings It is believed to have ceased to exist sometime during the 19th century, though some claim it merely fell into complete secrecy. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar It consisted of a secretive inner body, and a more public outer body under the direction of the inner body.

This movement was symbolized by the rose (the soul) and the cross (the body of 4 elements). In other words, the human soul crucified on the cross of the material plane. This may be similar to the Egyptian use of the ankh. Ankylosis progressive homolog (mouse, also known as ANKH, is a human Gene.

The Rosicrucian Order consisted of a graded system (similar to The Order of Freemasons) in which members moved up in rank and gained access to more knowledge, for which there was no fee. Once a member was deemed able to understand the knowledge, they moved on to the next grade.

There were three steps to their spiritual path: philosophy, qabbalah, and divine magic. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Theurgy (from Greek θεουργία) describes the practice of Rituals sometimes seen as magical in nature performed with the intention of In turn, there were three goals to the order: 1) the abolition of monarchy and the institution of rule by a philosophical elect, 2) reformation of science, philosophy, and ethics, and 3) discovery of the Panacea. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or In Greek mythology, Panacea (Greek Πανάκεια, Panakeia) was the goddess of healing

The only source dating the existence of the Rosicrucians as far back as the 17th century are three German pamphlets: the Fama, the Confessio Fraternitatis, and Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz. The Fama Fraternitatis Rosae Crucis ( Fama fraternitatis Roseae Crucis oder Die Bruderschaft des Ordens der Rosenkreuzer) or simply the Fama Fraternitatis, is an anonymous The Confessio Fraternitatis ( Confessio oder Bekenntnis der Societät und Bruderschaft Rosenkreuz) or simply The Confessio, printed in Kassel ( Germany The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz ( Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosencreutz anno 1459) was edited in 1616 in Strasburg (annexed by France Some scholars believe these to be hoaxes, and that antedating Rosicrucian organizations are the first appearance of any real Rosicrucian fraternity.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Main article: Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Unlike the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was open to both sexes, and treated both as equal. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of The Societas Rosicruciana (or Rosicrucian Society) is a Rosicrucian order which limits its membership to Christian Master Masons. The order was a specifically Hermetic society, teaching the arts of alchemy, qabbalah, and the magic of Hermes along with the principles of occult science. Israel Regardie claims that there are many orders, who know what they do of magic from what has been leaked out of the Golden Dawn, by what he deems "renegade members. Israel Regardie (Francis Israel Regudy (born on November 17, 1907 in London, England, died March 10 1985 in Sedona "

The order maintained the tightest of secrecy by severe penalties for loose lips. Overall, the general public was left oblivious to the actions and even existence of the Golden Dawn, making the policies a success. ^[40] This secrecy was broken first by Aleister Crowley, in A. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer D. 1905, and later by Israel Regardie himself in 1940 CE, giving a detailed account of the order's teachings to the general public. ^[41]

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Notes

References

• Abel, Christopher R. and Hare, William O. (1997). Hermes Trismegistus: An Investigation of the Origin of the Hermetic Writings. Sequim: Holmes Publishing Group.  
• Anonymous (2002). Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.  
• Budge, E. A. Wallis (1895). Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge ( July 27, 1857 &ndash November 23, 1934) was an English Egyptologist, The Egyptian Book of the Dead: (The Papyrus of Ani) Egyptian Text Transliteration and Translation. New York: Dover Publications.  
• Churton, Tobias. The Golden Builders: Alchemists, Rosicrucians, and the First Freemasons. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2002.
• Copenhaver, B. P. Hermetica, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1992.
• Garstin, E. J. Langford (2004). Theurgy or The Hermetic Practice. Berwick: Ibis Press.   Published Posthumously
• Hoeller, Stephan A. On the Trail of the Winged God: Hermes and Hermeticism Throughout the Ages, Gnosis: A Journal of Western Inner Traditions (Vol. 40, Summer 1996). Also at [2]
• Powell, Robert A. (1991). Christian Hermetic Astrology: The Star of the Magi and the Life of Christ. Hudson: Anthroposohic Press.  
• Regardie, Israel (1940). Israel Regardie (Francis Israel Regudy (born on November 17, 1907 in London, England, died March 10 1985 in Sedona The Golden Dawn. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications.  
• Salaman, Clement and Van Oyen, Dorine and Wharton, William D. and Mahé, Jean-Pierre (2000). The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Heremticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius. Rochester: Inner Traditions.  
• Scully, Nicki (2003). Alchemical Healing: A Guide to Spiritual, Physical, and Transformational Medicine. Rochester: Bear & Company.  

External links

• Online Version of the Corpus Hermeticum, version translated by John Everard in 1650 A.D. from Latin version
• Online Version of The Virgin of the World of Hermes Trismegistus, version translated by Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland in 1885 A.D.
• Online version of The Kybalion (1912)
• The Kybalion Resource Page
• An introduction to Hermeticism by Paul Newall (2004)
• A Different Da Vinci Code The missing pieces of Leonardo's puzzle point to plain and simple Hermeticism (altreligion. about. com article).
• Hermetics Resource Site Many Hermetics texts
• The Hermetic Library A collection of texts and sites relating to Hermeticism
• The Hermetic Society
• Societas Rosicruciana In Anglia SRIA - Bishop Wilkins College No.58