Hermeticism

[Anonymous No.19492144]

What is it? What are some primary sources? Is it as ancient as they claim to be or a new phenomena? I am curious is all. What is it's Theology? Does it have answers?

[Anonymous No.19492262]

There are two branches of hermeticism: the alexandrian hermeticism based on hermetica and alchemy. Hermetica is theological and alchemy is the practical application of. Basically states that the world is in a state of evolutionary process and humanity acts as a divine force in its development. What the world is to become and what happens to the process set forward by god, depends on what you are to make of it. You have the power to influence the stars and bring nature to higher levels of evolution, if you just find in yourself the powers to do so. It's literally the mythological basis for the western scientific conquest of nature.

[Anonymous No.19492271]

>>19492262
>evolutionary process
stopped reading right there

[Anonymous No.19492282]

>>19492271
Take your platonism with you

[Anonymous No.19492296]

http://www.occult-mysteries.org/hermes/hermes-intro.html

http://www.occult-mysteries.org/hermetic-occult-books.html

[Anonymous No.19492299]

>>19492144
primary sources include the writing of hermes trismagistus, Paracelsus and the two volume hermetic museum.

>>19492271
the evolutionary process referred to here is not Darwinian evolution. it is the evolution of ones life/ the course of humanity as illustrated by the evolution of lead into gold (saturn to the sun).

The main problem with studying hermeticism is that a lot of its teachings are vailed in allegory. Some of the writings in the hermetic museum have preambles by the authors that say that the writing is designed to confuse the uninitiated.

[Anonymous No.19492302]

>>19492271
this

[Anonymous No.19492305]

>>19492271
If only you had stopped breathing too

[Anonymous No.19492362]

>>19492144
I have chosen to try my hand at studying the Hermetic tradition. The fallowing is my reading list as it stands now (may evolve as I learn more).

Alchemy and Mysticism -alexander roob
thrice great hermes: studies in hellenistic theosophy (contains a lot of the original writings of hermes trismagistus with copius notes, as well as a history of hermeticism and alchemy) -G. R. S. Mead
essential readings of paracelsus -paracelsus
western esoteric masters: Jacob Boehme
the hermetic museum vol 1 and 2

Ill post updates and interesting findings to lit as I go.

[Anonymous No.19492382]

>>19492144

[Anonymous No.19492410]

>>19492382
Based thx

[Anonymous No.19492452]

>>19492262
>moominposter
Opinion discarded.

[Anonymous No.19492456]

>>19492262
You didn't say the other branch?

[Anonymous No.19492494]

>>19492452
>not initiated to esoteric moominism yet
follow the path

>>19492456
Alchemy is the other one

[Anonymous No.19492517]

>>19492494
basically gnostic hermeticism and alchemic (natural science) hermeticism? I definitely feel like there is a lot left out in these descriptions but Im willing to accept them as short hand.

[Anonymous No.19492548]

>>19492494
I have nothing against the Moomin franchise, but moominposters are just dumb.

[Anonymous No.19492559]

>>19492144
>Does it have answers?
We have to bring back corporal punishment as the response to this question

[Anonymous No.19492614]

>>19492517
Yeah. The academic literature has that twofold distinction pretty strong, with different names. Theoretical and technical hermetica, platonic hermeticsm and alchemy, philosophic-theological and alchemo-paracelsianism, hermetism and hermeticism. They all mean the same thing; other is the hermeticism based on hermetica which was discovered in renaissance, some minor manuscripts and excrepts of stobaeus. Other one is the alchemical tradition going through greco-roman egypt, arabia and latin europe all the way to scientific revolution, and the alchemical source material is infinite. There is no hard cut central corpus for alchemy, but the tabula smaragdina gets pushed a lot. Alchemy is easier to think as more of a kind of succession of different kind of personalities with varying theories and instructions. Zosimos, Jabir, Roger Bacon, George Ripley, Trimethius, Paracelsus, Heinrich Khunrath, Gerhard Dorn, Michael Maier, were some of the major figures. Light of Nature and divine inspiration were their guides, and their texts were their recordings of the struggle of bringing nature to perfection

[Anonymous No.19493907]

>>19492382
I read a review that said this book claims medieval hemetic alchemy wasn't physical at all, and was purely a spiritual practice. That's incorrect, alchemy was not purely spiritual, nor is it just shitty chemistry. It was a combination of the two; they didn't view the cartesian division between mind and body like people today.

[Anonymous No.19493925]

>>19493907
That's not what the book claims. The book claims the spiritual aspect has been largely neglected and misunderstood and he therefore tries to explain it. Maybe you should read the book and form your own opinion on it.

[Anonymous No.19493941]

I know very little about it all but I am reading Frabato the Magician now, which is like a very fictionalised account of Franz Bardon's life. Bardon also wrote some famous guides on hermeticism.

[Anonymous No.19493943]

>>19493925
Yeah, but by the time I finish reading, this thread would have long died.

[Anonymous No.19494763]

>>19493943
Fair enough. It's a good book but quite hard to digest if you go in without any prior knowledge on the subject.