HERMETIC FRAGMENTS

The Eternal Wisdom

Hermeticism is a philosophical and religious tradition based on the purported writings of Hermes Trismegistus. It claims to possess the ancient wisdom of Egypt and Greece, bridging the gap between the divine and the mortal, the scientific and the spiritual.

Origins

Hermes Trismegistus

The "Thrice-Greatest" Hermes. An amalgamation of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. Master of all arts and sciences, scribe of the gods, and the keeper of universal wisdom.

Syncretism

Born in the cultural melting pot of Hellenistic Egypt, Hermeticism blends Egyptian theology, Greek philosophy (Platonism, Stoicism), and early Gnostic thought into a unified spiritual worldview.

The Sacred Texts

The Corpus Hermeticum

A collection of Greek texts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. These dialogues outline the creation of the universe, the nature of the divine, and the path to spiritual rebirth.

The Emerald Tablet

A compact and cryptic piece of Hermetica reputed to contain the secret of the prima materia and its transmutation. It is the source of the famous axiom: "That which is below is like that which is above."

The Asclepius

A Latin text describing Egyptian religious practices, including the animation of statues and predictions about the decline of Egyptian civilization.

The Seven Principles

As described in The Kybalion, these immutable laws govern the universe.

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.
3. The Principle of Vibration: Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.
4. The Principle of Polarity: Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites.
5. The Principle of Rhythm: Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect: Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause.
7. The Principle of Gender: Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles.

The Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe

Alchemy

The Operation of the Sun. Not merely changing lead to gold, but the spiritual transmutation of the soul from a state of heavy materiality to luminous divinity.

Astrology

The Operation of the Stars. Understanding the movements of the celestial bodies and their correspondence to terrestrial events and the human mind.

Theurgy

The Operation of the Gods. The practice of rituals and invocations to connect with divine beings and ascend toward the One.

Historical Influence

From the Renaissance humanists like Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola to the foundations of modern science with Isaac Newton, Hermeticism has deeply influenced Western thought. It champions the idea that humanity is divine in nature and capable of understanding the workings of the cosmos.