Western Mysteries

Hermetics is a Western esoteric philosophy and spiritual practice that evolved from the Hellenistic mystery traditions in the 4th century BCE in both Alexandria and southern Greece. It is named after a shadowy figure named Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes the thrice-great) who along with his students in the period 200 - 100 BCE, created a body of work known as the Corpus Hermeticum. This was the first compendium of esoteric knowledge written down as a dialogue between the Greek god of communication and knowledge, Hermes and various individuals, most prominently the god of medicine, Asclepius.

This theological corpus spread into both the Muslim and Jewish world in particular, founding the science of Alchemy (Al-Khem, meaning ‘of Egypt’). Hermetics is present in the Jewish mystical practice of Kabbalah, a word meaning 'receiving.' Literally, a revelation from God about matters dealing with the workings of the Universe, matters relating to the soul and the very nature of God. Kabbalah is a sort of blueprint, explaining humankind's purpose on Earth. 

In the Medieval world, Hermes Trismegistus survived as a great teacher and worker of miracles. The practice of Hermeticism was at the heart of all the early grimoires of magic and involved the practice of Kaballah, Alchemy, Spirit Communication and Astrology. Most importantly, this included the Three Books of Occult Wisdom by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Published in 1531, it was instrumental in continuing the ancient thread of Hermeticism. From that period forward, free-thinkers were inspired to adapt these teachings to the increasingly modern world (including the Order of the Golden Dawn in the 19th century). 

The illustration is a pen and ink drawing by Leonardo da Vinci called Vitruvian Man. Vitruvius was an ancient Roman architect who wrote a paper on the relationship between the human body and sacred geometry. This is an important thread of Hermeticism that was first examined by Pythagoras, the Ancient Greek father of Geometry. Leonardo Da Vinci in his accompanying notes, described the human body as being in shape and proportion, a microcosm of the Universe and through this perspective, it explained our relationship with the natural world. 

Pythagoras believed that through Mathematical number and Geometry, one could get an insight into the mind of the Creator. This is a subject we will explore in greater depth.