What we call Hermetic philosophy can be ascribed to a mythical figure who was said to be both a demigod king in Ancient Egypt, and a God in Greece.
Though no record of his reign can be found in any ancient Egyptian records, the purported work of this figure has informed and inspired much of western mystical teachings and ideas.
So who is this figure?
In Egyptian texts he is known as Thoth, a God of magic and author of all the arts and sciences, and is even said to have invented writing.
In Greek mythology he is known as Hermes, a messenger from the Gods who introduced philosophy, science, astrology, writing and magic to humans.
Much of the texts attributed to Hermeticism are from the Greek interpretation of this figure, who is commonly known as the legendary figure of Hermes Trismegistus, “Trismegistus” meaning ‘thrice great master’ or ‘thrice great’.
There are multiple interpretations of this epithet “Trismegistus”, some say it is in reference to him undergoing three separate initiations, while others say it is to pay homage to him being the greatest of all philosophers, greatest of all priests and greatest of all kings.
Though many writings have been attributed to Hermes over the ages, much are believed to have been destroyed, stolen or lost.
It’s possible reference to them was made by Clement of Alexandria, (c. 150 – c. 215 BCE), who is one of the few preserved chroniclers of pagan lore. He wrote the text Stromata in an attempt to initiate Christians into complete knowledge of their faith.
While discussing pagan religions he notes in his text that the best of philosophers ascribe importance to the tenets of ‘barbarians’, chiefly the Egyptians.
He goes on to describe that,
the Egyptians have a philosophy of their own, [this] is principally shown by their sacred ceremonial
and explains how there are forty-two books of Hermes.
The Stromata reports that thirty-six of these books are said to explain the entire philosophy of the Egyptians and the other six relate to medicine and biological study.
Over the years many have claimed that surviving copies of these forty-two books still exist somewhere in the world today, the location being hidden, known by only a few initiates of secret mystery schools.
However, there are three books attributed to Hermes accessible in modern times, which have been used to create a system of modern Hermetic philosophy.
They are The Emerald Tablet of Thoth, the Corpus Hermeticum (or Divine Pymander) and the Perfect Sermon (orThe Asclepius).
The Emerald Tablets
The original texts of the Emerald Tablet first appears in early medieval Arabic sources, and was later translated into Latin in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Despite numerous interpretations, no such tablet has ever been found, and there exists little evidence or information on the original copy of this text.
In 1925, Dr M. Doreal published what he claimed was a direct translation of the original texts.
Claude Doggins (1902-1963) adopted the alias Dr Maurice Doreal, and was a passionate student of the occult and esoteric knowledge. He founded the Brotherhood of the White Temple, a theosophical occult fraternity in Colorado.
He published the Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean, claiming he was authorised to do so by the Great White Lodge of Masters, ethereal guides seeking to help humanity in its evolution. The tablets were supposedly retrieved from a pyramid in South America, and once translated, returned, some believing they are now hidden in a chamber within the Great Pyramid of Giza.
These tablet translations are intentionally obscure and difficult to gain much understanding from, but are said to reward the dedicated reader with the secrets of alchemy, as well as explain the mystical origins of this figure known as Thoth.
Read. Believe or not, but read. And the vibration found therein will awaken a response in your soul.
– Maurice Doreal
It’s interesting to note that the popular maxim “as above so below” stems from the original texts of the Emerald Tablets, translated from Latin as,
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.
This, and other Hermetic teachings, were later written into the seven laws of the Universe in The Kybalion by ‘The Three Initiates’. This text later inspired the so-called 12 Laws of the Universe, gaining great popularity in New Age spirituality.
Corpus Hermeticum
The Corpus Hermeticum is another very old text ascribed to Hermes, however the origin of its translation inspires a little less confidence in the amount of wisdom preserved from the original writing.
It was remodeled in the early centuries of the Christian era and is known to have been incorrectly translated, however the text still undoubtedly contains much of the original Hermetic concepts.
Its eighteen books have been perhaps the greatest asset for those seeking to learn Hermetic philosophy, explaining the story of creation and various other wider philosophical and existential concepts.
The Perfect Sermon or ‘The Asclepius’
The Perfect Sermon or ‘The Asclepius’ is a similar text and, like the Hermeticum, is written as a lecture Hermes gives to one of his pupils, Asclepius, also known as a god of medicine in Greek mythology.
The Perfect Sermon is known for its prophetic explanation of the end of philosophy and the eventual end and rebirth of the world.
Modern mystery schools
Many modern schools of magic and mystery, composed of Hermetic scholars have emerged over the centuries, one of the most noteworthy being the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This order combines Hermetic Philosophy and teachings with the ancient wisdom of Rabbis, transcribed through the mystic Kabbalah. They are most known for their ceremonial magic, which is almost directly learned from the Egyptians and have informed much of the occult understandings used by other organisations to have later formed.
The great aim of Hermeticism
Though Hermeticism cannot be comprehensively summarised in any meaningful way, we may understand it as an investigation into the emanations of truth, and an embodiment of mysteries, ultimately seeking for the soul to be reunited with God.
Hermeticism teaches God not to be one personified entity, but the ultimate reality, truth and most of all, the good.
The good signifies that which gives endlessly, infinitely and unconditionally without any expectation of return, something only possible for the source, creator and tireless maintainer of all things, through which all things exist.
Man, being an emanation of the good, is divine, yet through his divinity is blessed with the same free will the creator has.
Evil is nothing more than a diversion from truth made possible through free will, and is still an aspect of the Ultimate Good.
The ultimate great aim of Hermeticism is unity with the Divine.
- Featured image: Thoth Trismégiste, le premier Hermès. Leon Jean Joseph, Artist, Jean François Champollion (1790-1832), Author. Source: New York Public Library
- Hermes Trismegistus by user:Tomisti, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Emerald Tablet or Tabula Smaragdina. Engraved image of the “emerald tablet” from Amphitheatrvm sapientiae aeternae, solivs verae, 1609, by Heinrich Khunrath (1560-1605). Source: Typ 620.09.482, Houghton Library, Harvard University
- Corpus Hermeticum: first Latin edition, by Marsilio Ficino, 1471 AD, an edition which belonged formerly to the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Amsterdam.
