Hermetic

Founded mythically by the man known as Hermes Trismegistus, hermetic magic is practiced as a religion to some, with Trismegistus as their savior-magician figure. Others practice hermetic principles as a system of philosophy and magic, easily grafted to other religious systems.

Hermes Trismegistus is said to be “thrice great” because he has what is referred to as the Three Wisdoms: knowledge of alchemy, knowledge of astrology and knowledge of Theurgy. Through his understanding of these three practices, he came to comprehend the vital truths of the universe. These truths are best described as a combination of panentheism and Monistic-polytheism, which teaches that there is The All, or one “Cause” of which we and the entire universe, are all part. It subscribes to the notion that other beings such as gods and angels, ascended masters and elementals exist in the universe.

Hermetic Texts

At its core, hermetic philosophy is shaped by four books: The Book of Thoth, a scroll buried with Prince Neferkaptah; the Corpus Hermeticum; and the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, supposedly found by Alexander the Great at the tomb of Hermes in Hebron. These three books were rumored to have been written by Hermes Trismegistus himself, and most hermeticists have copies of the Corpus Hermeticum and the Emerald Tablet. The last book of note is the Kybalion, written by those who simply called themselves the Three Initiates, published first in the early 1900s. According to hermetic legend, these four books are only four of the Great Forty-Two, a corpus of works originally stored in the Great Library of Alexandria.

The Book of Thoth

A legendary hermetic book, the Book of Thoth is thought to have been buried with the Prince Neferkaptah (whose name means “perfect ka of Ptah”) in the City of the Dead. A great collection of scrolls, according to hermetic legends, the reader is thought to be able to learn the language of animals, to be able to cast great spells and to learn to enchant the sky and earth themselves. Anyone who read the book was punished by the gods with a curse that would cause the reader’s loved ones to die until the book was returned.

Corpus Hermeticum

A collection of several Greek texts from the second and third centuries, the Corpus Hermeticum are survivors of a renaissance of pagan thought that took place around the Second Century. Unlike many texts of that renaissance, the Corpus Hermeticum contain no explicit allusions to Christian or Jewish texts, a choice that seems deliberate. Unlike Orphic literature, they do not dwell on the minutiae of Greek mythology, nor do they dwell on the technical details of metaphysical philosophy.

These texts instead dwell on the oneness of Divinity, speaking of “The One” and “The All.” They also urge purification of the soul and defend pagan religious practices, such as the veneration of images. It also contains a discussion of alchemy, though that discussion is cloaked in metaphor.

It is written in dialogue form, Hermes Trismegistus instructing a perplexed disciple on points of wisdom. The dialogue itself is played out on a spectral canvas of hoary temples marked with hieratic inscriptions. Though written in Greek originally, it is clear from certain phrases that this was Hellenistic Egypt, likely during the time of the Ptolemies. Indeed, there is a distinct anti-Greek and strong anti-Roman character to the dialogues — indeed, scholars have noted that the Corpus provides an interesting perspective: the religious thinking of non-elite and politically marginal pagans under the Roman Empire.

There are seventeen books to the Corpus Hermeticum, covering a wide variety of topics. To hermetic thought, they provide an insight into both the philosophy of the tradition, as well as a glimpse at the nature of Hermes Trismegistus. To the Awakened, however, there are a variety of allusions to things of the Supernal realms, and the Atlantean praxis, that reveal Hermes Trismegistus as one of the Awakened.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus

Also known as the Smaragdine Tablet, the Tabula Smaragdina or The Secret of Hermes, the Emerald Tablet is an ancient text dealing with the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations. An ancient work covering fourteen points (sometimes wrongly called the “Alchemist’s Commandments”), the Emerald Tablet has been translated many times, including by such luminaries as Isaac Newton. Originally written in Latin, these precepts are:

1. Verum, sine mendacio, certum et verissimum (True, without error, certain and most true:)
2. Quod est inferius est sicut quod est superius, et quod est superius est sicut quod est inferius, ad perpetranda miracula rei unius. (That which is above is as that which is below; and that which is below is as that which is above, to perform the miracles of the one thing.)
3. Et sicut res omnes fuerunt ab uno, meditatione unius, sic omnes res natae ab hac una re, adaptatione. (And as all things were from The One, by the meditation of The One, thus all things of the daughter of The One, by means of adaptation.)
4. Pater eius est Sol. Mater eius est Luna. (Its father is the Sun, its mother the Moon.)
5. Portavit illud Ventus in ventre suo. Nutrix eius terra est. (The wind carried it in its belly, its nurse is the earth.)
6. Pater omnis telesmi totius Mundi est hic. (The father of all the looms of the whole world is here)
7. Virtus eius integra est si versa fuerit in terram. Separabis terram ab igne, subtile ab spisso, suaviter, magno cum ingenio. (Its power is integrating it it be turned into earth. Separate the earth from the fire, the fine from the dense, delicately, by means of the great together with capacity.)
8. Ascendit a terra in coelum, iterumque descendit in terram, et recipit vim superiorum et inferiorum. (It ascends by means of earth into heaven, and again it descends into the earth, and retakes the power of the superiors and the inferiors)
9. Sic habebis Gloriam totius Mundi. Ideo fugiet a te omnis obscuritas. (Thus, you have the glory of the whole world. Therefore, by your means, it may drive out all obscurity.)
10. Haec est totius foritudinis foritudo fortis, quia vincet omnem rem subtilem, omnemque solidam penetrabit. (This is the whole of the strength of the strong force, because it overcomes all fine things, and penetrates all the complete.)
11. Sic mundus creatus est. (Thus the world has been created.)
12. Hinc erunt adaptations mirabilis, quarum modus est hic. (Hence they were wonderful adaptations, of which this is the manner.)
13. Itaque vocatus sum Hermes Trismegistus, habens tres partes philosophiae totius Mundi. (Therefore I am Hermes the Thrice Great, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.)
14. Completum ets quod dixi de operatione Solis. (What I have said concerning the operation of the Sun has been completed.)

The Kybalion

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Principles of Hermetic Thought

The following is a quick summarizations of some of the precepts, philosophies and beliefs of hermetic thought.

The All

Hermetic thought teaches that there is The All, and reality exists within the mind of the All. Though there are many gods, they are but emanations of the All, created by, existing within and alongside all other things in the All. Vibration

Furthermore, all of reality — from the basest dense physicality to the highest, most numinous spiritual states — are simply vibrations within the mind of the All. The only difference between the different states of physical matter, mentality and spirituality is the frequency of their vibration. The higher the vibration, the further it is from base matter.

Contagion

The presence of one frequency of vibration can overwhelm other, lesser vibrations. Higher vibrations naturally overwhelm lower vibrations, causing them to vibrate faster, pulling them into more numinous states of being, but the sheer amount of low-frequency vibrations often overwhelm higher vibrations.

Microcosm/Macrocosm

Because of the interconnections of the All, and the way Contagion works on Vibration, things which are similar are connected. The physical, mental and spiritual realities reflect one another, being all different frequency vibrations of the same thing (the self, essentially), and the self is the microcosm of the greater universal macrocosm.

Sympathy

Through understanding of Contagion and Microcosm/Macrocosm, one understands the use of heavy symbolism in hermetic magic. Within the context of hermetic thought, the map is in fact the territory, and a simple lock of hair can serve as the microcosm for the macrocosmic individual. A certain color is not simply suggestive of a planetary influence, it is that planet, being the same principle on a different frequency, the microcosm of the planet, which is the macrocosm.

Causation

Cause and effect. There is no such thing as random chance in hermetic philosophy. One thing is caused by another, in a series of ever-unfolding events, and many times causality plays itself out on levels and frequencies we cannot perceive. Thus, they seem random, but had we the perspective to see the full process in motion, we would understand it to be the simple inevitable unfolding of cause and effect.

Reincarnation

Hermeticism maintains the existence of reincarnation, specifically the Greek ideal of metempsychosis, or the transmigration of the soul. Hermetic thought maintains that the Great Work is the slow alteration of the soul’s frequency, bringing it to higher and higher vibratory levels, in order to near the All, with the eventual aim of achieving that same frequency of vibration, thus ensuring a merging with the One.

Morality

Hermeticism includes a distinction between good and evil, although they are specifically terms that relate to source: “good” relates to things of the Supreme Good, or God, while “evil” relates to things of demonkind. Mankind are possessed of a channel to both sources, who simultaneously attempt to exert influence into the world through men; this channel is called the nous, or the Divine Intellect. Hermetic magicians often refer to it as the Holy Guardian Angel as well, though the HGA is specifically the nous as it receives influence from the Supreme Good.

Because Man is not God, he cannot actually share in the nature of “good,” though — he can simply be a channel for it in the world. Through contagion, electing to act as such a channel raises the individual’s own vibratory level to be closer to that of God, as part of the Great Work. That said, the One of hermeticism reserves no judgment for mankind’s choice to do evil. Hermetic philosophy maintains only one act that offends God: merely processing through life, obstructing others from doing or accomplishing good, and having no “children.”

When hermetics speak of “children,” they speak of all the things that come out of creative endeavors. To exist in life without any creative impulses or activities, to effective be simply a consumer of such, is a sin.

Symbols & Foci

The following symbols are important parts of the practice of hermetic magic.

Elements

Hermeticism uses the symbolism of the four classical Elements, though these are generally handy labels for different base frequencies of vibration. Specifically, they are the terms used to describe how disparate vibrations interact with one another, describing them in elemental terms for ease of comprehension. Where all the elements are merged into a single, harmonious vibration, with all extremes present yet balanced, there rests the quintessence, the Fifth Element of spiritual harmony.

The building blocks of the Great Physical Plane, the elements are the means by which the physical world is altered. Fire represents activity, “hot” passions/emotions and the polarity between creation and destruction. Water is flowing, gentleness, “deep” passions/emotions and represents the ends of things, the polarity between beginning and end. Earth is solidity, stability, cold and darkness, representing the polarity between barrenness and fertility. Air is thought, intellect, imagination and the polarity between intellect and imagination.

The so-called fifth element, however, which exists when the elements are in a state of perfect balance and overlap, is considered an aspect of the Great Spiritual Plane. Likewise, the elements are represented in the Great Mental Plane with the elemental correspondences for each of the planets.

Planets

What the elements are to the Great Physical Plane, the powers of the planets are to the Great Mental Plane. Symbolic of mental states of mind and endeavors, as well as the slow unfolding of causality — the power by which Will changes the universe — planetary symbolism can be found at nearly every level of hermetic thought, from the alchemical attributions of certain metals and stones to the Planetary Courts of spirits invoked by hermetic theurgists.

Of course, each planet also exists on all three Planes: its physical existence and elemental correspondence on the Great Physical, the archon intelligences and thematic concepts of each planet on the Great Mental, and the actual gods and spirits that make up the Spirit Courts associated with each of the planets on the Great Spiritual.

Names

The third of the building blocks, which make up the vibrations of the Great Spiritual Plane. The universe was created with the Logos, the Word of Creation, and all words and names are descended from that First Word. Hermetic practice uses what are referred to as “the barbaric names,” strange, nearly unpronounceable words that are literal symbols of what the word is intended to accomplish.

Likewise, what spoken words are to sound, sigils are to the eye. Usually, sigils seem to be random lines, though they form words when overlaid a pattern of letters (which is where they are generally derived). Hermetic practice involves the use of “vibrating” names, a type of chanting that involves setting up a sound vibration deep in the chest, with the purpose of aligning oneself with that principle: by feeling a physical sensation in the chest, focusing ones thoughts on the word and its meaning and actually speaking the word in question, the magician aligns himself on all three Planes with that principle.

Correspondences

Because of the principles of Sympathy and Contagion, most hermetic practice involves the direct application of elemental, planetary or logos-based energies to a working through symbols of those principles. Colors, stones, herbs, incenses, oils, metals, animals, musical notes and magical tools all serve this capacity. When a hermetic uses an iron sword set with a red stone, this is more than mere theater — it is the literal wielding of the powers of Mars. Where he manipulates the sword on the Great Physical Plane, his mind focuses on the themes and purposes to the use of this Martial energy, and his spirit literally taps into that divine source, pulling it to his Will.

Kaballah

At some point in the past, hermetic practice absorbed the kabalistic Tree of Life and its sephira, finding in that Sigil a useful diagrammatic presentation of the three Planes of hermetic philosophy. Most hermetic magical practices do not actually use the Tree of Life or kabalistic techniques for the practice of magic — in pure hermetic thought, the Tree of Life is essentially a useful diagram for the organization of various symbols, including orders of angels and demons, deities, planets, colors and a variety of other correspondences, demonstrating how multiple layers of symbolism interact with one another. Of course, with the use of kabalistic symbolism, some magicians have embraced the practice of kabalistic magic as part of their workings, going so far as to consider them to be integral to hermetic practice.

The Magical Circle

As Above, So Below, goes the hermetic axiom of Microcosm/Macrocosm. The entire universe is a great circle, in which the planets revolve. Thus, in order to affect the Great Circle of the universe, the magician need only create the Lesser Circle — a circular delineated space set aside for the purpose of magical workings. In this fashion, changes performed on the small scale will be reflected in the larger: the essence of magic. While not all hermetic magics necessarily take place within the magical circle, all rituals certainly should. A proper magical circle is protected by divine names, representing both the Greater Spiritual Plane which bounds the physical universe, and the divine powers the hermetic magician is invoking into his working.

Elemental Weapons

Perhaps one of the strongest pieces of Supernal Truth that remains filtered into the hermetic tradition of magic is the use of magical weapons. The blade, the wand, the cup and the pentacle are all part of hermetic practice, representing a variety of elemental and planetary interactions. Hermetic practice does not usually include the mirror, though of course Awakened hermetics might possibly include one in their workings. In hermetic thought, the wand is the Will of the magician and associated with the element of Fire, the cup his Understanding and associated with Water, the blade his Reason, associated with Air and the pentacle his Physicality, associated with Earth.

Other Magical Tools

In addition to these four essential so-called “elemental weapons,” hermetic magicians also use oil, for the act of consecration; a scourge, to produce agony and to levy out any punishments the magician may have coming to him on a microcosmic scale, rather than allowing such justice to accrue and play out in the macrocosm; the chain or cord, with which bindings are performed; the crown or circlet, a symbol of the hermetic magician’s lordship over the universe and his innate divinity; the robe, which symbolizes silence; the lamen (an amulet inscribed with the sigil name of a deity, angel or demon), which declared his allegiance with the powers of his working; his grimoire, in which the magician stores his correspondences, ephemeris and similar magical notations, as well as the rotes for Awakened magi; and a bell, the symbol of pure sound and the means by which the attention of spirits is garnered. A hermetic mage is also likely to use a shewstone, a stone used for scrying, or communion with spirits summoned.

Jewelry

Hermetic magicians use a variety of jewelry in addition to the lamen. Wearing rings, bracelets and pendants of appropriate elemental or planetary metals and stones are useful for aligning the magician with the vibrations of that element or planetary power, and pieces of jewelry enscribed with sigils perform the same function for divine powers. Such items may even serve as the occasional sacrifice to a spirit of some kind, or the magician may wear them to imbue them with protections.

Robes & Ritual Garb

As mentioned above, the magician’s robe serves to represent his silence and ability to keep secret the Mysteries. The robe is a symbol of shedding mundane existence and donning the mantle of the magician. Typically, robes are either all-black or all-white, though hermetic magicians may also utilize robes of different colors in order to align themselves with specific planetary or elemental powers. Likewise, sashes and mantles embroidered with specific sigils and names may be donned to align with divine Names and entities. A hood is representative of the magician’s intent and ability to turn inwards, and Awakened magicians sometimes find it useful to hood themselves before beginning an astral journey.

Rituals & Timing

The use of ritual magic, generally combining the magical circle with ritual garb and jewelry, the manipulation of magical tools and elemental weapons along with consumables of particular correspondences, all serve to enact the magician’s Will on the universe.

Hermetic Magics

Hermetic magic is divided into three categories, or the Three Wonders. These form the core of Hermetic thought, and though they are presented as three separate kinds of magic, they are ultimately outgrowths in different directions of core hermetic thought. In particular, Awakened hermetics focus on one or more of these arts when learning to channel their Awakened lore through a hermetic lens.

Alchemy

The act of transforming one thing into another is a powerful and important part of hermetic thought, and the alchemist applies hermetic principles to the Great Physical Plane and, through Sympathy and Contagion, gaining wisdom in the transmutation of the Great Mental and Spiritual Planes. In particular, the study of the so-called Pattern Arcana, Forces, Life and Matter, find a very solid grounding in hermetic alchemy.

Astrology

The movement of the heavenly bodies, and their influences on the Great Mental Plane, comes under the study of hermetic astrology. Lesser occultists might speak of destiny or fate in relation to such powers, but it is vital to remember that hermetic philosophy disdains such things. Rather, the powers of the planets can alter the Great Mental Plane, which is where decisions are made – the first point of causality. Astrological, or celestial, magics generally flavor the study of Arcana such as Fate, Space and Time among the Awakened.

Theurgy

Understanding and influencing the vibrations of the Great Spiritual Plane falls under the study of Theurgy. Involvement with spirit-entities of all kinds, understanding them as the spiritual reflection of entities on both the Great Physical and Great Mental Planes, permits the working of wonders. Awakened hermetics tend to focus the study of Mind, Prime and Spirit within these categories. In particular, those who study the summoning and binding of angels are likely to focus on the Prime Arcanum, while those who seek communion with the goetia focus on Mind. Both of these areas of study are likely to involve some measure of Spirit as well, though hermetic mages that study Spirit only are most likely to focus on either planetary or elemental spirits. Finally, technically necromancy is a form of applied Theurgy as well, with some hermetics studying the Arcanum of Death.