M E E T T H E T H R I C E G R E A T
"The union of the Word and the Mind produces that mystery which is called Life... Learn deeply of the Mind and its mystery, for therein lies the secret of immortality."
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS
There is surprisingly little, if any, evidence for the existence of Hermes. Which is astonishing because he is arguably the most influential figure in western history. But possibly understandable when you think of the confusion that shrouds the life of Jesus of Nazereth an mere 2,011 years on. This focusses us on what comprises a historical figure. That is someone you could shake hands with had you a time machine. Physical description. Name. Birth records. Writings he left behind. Writings of contempories. Philosophy. Historical impact. Imagery. Hold an identity parade for JC and you'd get nowhere. Devoted to a pareticular as aspect of the human psyche. Jung would term it an archetype.
zoomorphic deity
zoomorphic deity
“ An alleged scientific discovery has no merit unless it can be explained to a barmaid.”
SIR ERNEST RUTHERFORD - 1908 Nobel Prize for chemistry
SIR ERNEST RUTHERFORD - 1908 Nobel Prize for chemistry
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS (30 August 1871-19 October 1937) was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics. In early work he discovered the concept of radioactive half-life, proved that radioactivity involved the 'transmutation' of one chemical element to another, and also differentiated and named alpha and beta radiation. In 1917 Rutherford became the first person to deliberately 'transmute' one element into another, converting nitrogen into oxygen through nuclear reaction.
With the term 'transmutation' making such regular appearances on Rutherford's job spec., maybe I should have been less surprised than I was to recognise the figure of Hermes Trigmegistus on the Rutherford coat of arms. Rutherford acknowledges one more thing which would have made Hermes proud; he believed that knowledge was worthless unless it can be communicated outside of the scientific community. Something that today's physicists are signally failing to do.
(Primordia Quaerere Rerum - to seek the first principles of things.) http://www.squidoo.com/thoth http://www.sria.org/hermes_m_trism.htm http://www.outofbodytravel.org/sacredchantrecitation/mysteryreligionchants.html
With the term 'transmutation' making such regular appearances on Rutherford's job spec., maybe I should have been less surprised than I was to recognise the figure of Hermes Trigmegistus on the Rutherford coat of arms. Rutherford acknowledges one more thing which would have made Hermes proud; he believed that knowledge was worthless unless it can be communicated outside of the scientific community. Something that today's physicists are signally failing to do.
(Primordia Quaerere Rerum - to seek the first principles of things.) http://www.squidoo.com/thoth http://www.sria.org/hermes_m_trism.htm http://www.outofbodytravel.org/sacredchantrecitation/mysteryreligionchants.html
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children."
GENESIS 3:16
GENESIS 3:16
Hermes identity as you will learn below is complicated; when he first made his appearance is not so. Skip back 5,000 years or so; human society was teetering on the point of maximal development. The limitation to further growth was simply the inability of the brain to store, retrieve, disseminate and exchange information. What in computer terms would be attributed to processing power - effectively we had very small hard drives, not enough RAM and very limited interconnectivity. Our ability to expand our intelligence had simply bumped up against a simple physical limit. The cerebral cortex (the outer surface and last area of the brain to evolve) had contorted like fleshy origami to make maximal use of the limited space; but further expansion was just not possible. It had reached its physical limit. Our heads simply couldn't get any bigger.
Interestingly it wasn't a problem with the cranium's ability to expand which caused the road block; it was the size of the female pelvis. That's because in order to facilitate the birth of increasingly macrocephalic progeny the gap between the female sacral promontory and the inner pubic arch had expanded to the point where any wider would begin to compromise the ability to walk; and if you can't run faster than your predator it doesn't bode well in terms of natural selection. There are clues everywhere..."I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children." GENESIS 3:16. It is not without reason that a key element of the human female sexual attraction is a broad pelvic girdle; which was historically emphasised by clothing such as hooped dresses, bustles and bows, and latterly tight skirts and high heels, all of which impede walking. It took the necessities of two world wars for men to concede to women the right to wear trousers. (So, yes, it's imprinted on the male psyche to prefer women broad assed and hobbled.)
Something had to give and the solution when it came was simple - we had to go exosomatic; that is, we needed a means of storing information outside of our brains. This 'one great leap' alone caused us to side-step our allotted place in evolution; as soon as we learned to write everything changed. Hence the profound significance of the arm of God reaching out from the confines of the human mind. (To add one more layer of analogy; I'm reminded of a chick pecking it's way out of an egg, with all that implies.)
Interestingly it wasn't a problem with the cranium's ability to expand which caused the road block; it was the size of the female pelvis. That's because in order to facilitate the birth of increasingly macrocephalic progeny the gap between the female sacral promontory and the inner pubic arch had expanded to the point where any wider would begin to compromise the ability to walk; and if you can't run faster than your predator it doesn't bode well in terms of natural selection. There are clues everywhere..."I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children." GENESIS 3:16. It is not without reason that a key element of the human female sexual attraction is a broad pelvic girdle; which was historically emphasised by clothing such as hooped dresses, bustles and bows, and latterly tight skirts and high heels, all of which impede walking. It took the necessities of two world wars for men to concede to women the right to wear trousers. (So, yes, it's imprinted on the male psyche to prefer women broad assed and hobbled.)
Something had to give and the solution when it came was simple - we had to go exosomatic; that is, we needed a means of storing information outside of our brains. This 'one great leap' alone caused us to side-step our allotted place in evolution; as soon as we learned to write everything changed. Hence the profound significance of the arm of God reaching out from the confines of the human mind. (To add one more layer of analogy; I'm reminded of a chick pecking it's way out of an egg, with all that implies.)
"My last incarnation...oh, I was never happy with that one. It had a sort of feckless charm which simply wasn't me!
THE DOCTOR
THE DOCTOR
There is surprisingly little, if any, evidence for the existence of Hermes. Which is astonishing because he is arguably the most influential figure in western history. Not only did his guiding hand extend to theology and philosophy but, as you can judge from the above, the sciences as well. But possibly understandable when you think of the confusion that shrouds the life of Jesus of Nazereth an mere 2,011 years on. This focusses us on what comprises a historical figure. That is someone you could shake hands with had you a time machine. Physical description. Name. Birth records. Writings he left behind. Writings of contempories. Philosophy. Historical impact. Imagery. Hold an identity parade for JC and you'd get nowhere. Devoted to a pareticular as aspect of the human psyche. Jung would term it an archetype.
The point that we can all agree on is that Hermes is complicated. Disturbingly so. He's like Doctor Who; popping up at whatever point in history he chooses and in a variety of physical incarnations. So far he's made appearances as a god, an extra-terrestrial visitor, an Egyptian polymath a pharaoh, a Greek or Roman myth, (as Jung might term) an archetype, the figurehead of an ancient religion, a humanist philosopher, a figment of the arcane imagination, a invention of Alexandrian scholars and sometimes a compound of all, or some, of the above.
He's an archetype. Pops up all over the world. Does this mean he's not real. If by real you mean has a lasting memory. Has a tangible effect on thinking, on science, that people would rather die than deny his truth. Then yes he's real. And measured against this criteria he's more real than you and me who will be forgotten a generation or so after our passing and leave no lasting legacy. So, yes, he has left his mark, and continues to leave his mark; how's that for real. Real lasting and beneficial effect on the human condition
Let's look at some of the claims that are made as to his identity.
The point that we can all agree on is that Hermes is complicated. Disturbingly so. He's like Doctor Who; popping up at whatever point in history he chooses and in a variety of physical incarnations. So far he's made appearances as a god, an extra-terrestrial visitor, an Egyptian polymath a pharaoh, a Greek or Roman myth, (as Jung might term) an archetype, the figurehead of an ancient religion, a humanist philosopher, a figment of the arcane imagination, a invention of Alexandrian scholars and sometimes a compound of all, or some, of the above.
He's an archetype. Pops up all over the world. Does this mean he's not real. If by real you mean has a lasting memory. Has a tangible effect on thinking, on science, that people would rather die than deny his truth. Then yes he's real. And measured against this criteria he's more real than you and me who will be forgotten a generation or so after our passing and leave no lasting legacy. So, yes, he has left his mark, and continues to leave his mark; how's that for real. Real lasting and beneficial effect on the human condition
Let's look at some of the claims that are made as to his identity.
T H E E X T R A - T E R R E S T R I A L V I S I T O R
"Of course it is possible that UFO's really do contain aliens as many people believe, and the Government is hushing it up."
PROFESSOR STEPHEN HAWKING
PROFESSOR STEPHEN HAWKING
Proponents of ancient astronaut theories often maintain that humans are either descendants or creations of extraterrestrial beings who landed on Earth thousands of years ago. An associated idea is that much of human knowledge, religion, and culture came from extraterrestrial visitors in ancient times, in that ancient astronauts acted as a “mother culture”. Ancient astronaut proponents also believe that travelers from outer space known as "astronauts" or "spacemen" built many of the structures on earth such as the pyramids in Egypt and the Moai stone heads of Easter Island or aided humans in building them.
Proponents argue that the evidence for ancient astronauts comes from supposed gaps in historical and archaeological records, and they also maintain that absent or incomplete explanations of historical or archaeological data point to the existence of ancient astronauts. The evidence is said to include archaeological artifacts that they argue are anachronistic or beyond the presumed technical capabilities of the historical cultures with which they are associated (sometimes referred to as "Out-of-place artifacts"); and artwork and legends which are interpreted as depicting extraterrestrial contact or technologies.
Certain mainstream academics have responded that gaps in contemporary knowledge of the past need not demonstrate that such speculative ancient astronaut ideas are a necessary conclusion to draw. Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA, however strongly believed in what he called panspermia, the concept that earth was 'seeded' with life, probably in the form of bluegreen algae, by intelligent extraterrestrial species, for the purpose of ensuring life's continuity. He believed that this could have been done on any number of planets of this class, possibly using unmanned shuttles. He talks at length about this theory in his book Life Itself.
Thomas Gold a professor of astronomy suggested a "garbage theory" for the origin of life, the theory says that life on earth might have spread from a pile of waste products accidentally dumped on Earth long ago by extraterrestrials. The television series Ancient Aliens on the History channel features the main proponents in the ancient astronaut theory, and includes interviews with Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, David Childress, Erich von Däniken, Dr. Steven Greer and Nick Pope.
Proponents argue that the evidence for ancient astronauts comes from supposed gaps in historical and archaeological records, and they also maintain that absent or incomplete explanations of historical or archaeological data point to the existence of ancient astronauts. The evidence is said to include archaeological artifacts that they argue are anachronistic or beyond the presumed technical capabilities of the historical cultures with which they are associated (sometimes referred to as "Out-of-place artifacts"); and artwork and legends which are interpreted as depicting extraterrestrial contact or technologies.
Certain mainstream academics have responded that gaps in contemporary knowledge of the past need not demonstrate that such speculative ancient astronaut ideas are a necessary conclusion to draw. Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA, however strongly believed in what he called panspermia, the concept that earth was 'seeded' with life, probably in the form of bluegreen algae, by intelligent extraterrestrial species, for the purpose of ensuring life's continuity. He believed that this could have been done on any number of planets of this class, possibly using unmanned shuttles. He talks at length about this theory in his book Life Itself.
Thomas Gold a professor of astronomy suggested a "garbage theory" for the origin of life, the theory says that life on earth might have spread from a pile of waste products accidentally dumped on Earth long ago by extraterrestrials. The television series Ancient Aliens on the History channel features the main proponents in the ancient astronaut theory, and includes interviews with Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, David Childress, Erich von Däniken, Dr. Steven Greer and Nick Pope.
T H E E G Y P T I A N P S Y C H O P O M P
"Man is in the process of changing, to forms that are not of this world; grows he in time to the formless, a plane on the cycle above. Know ye, ye must become formless before ye are one with the light."
THOTH
THOTH
The ancient Egyptians knew him as Thoth, the ibis headed god of communications and judgement who, along with fellow psychopomp Horus, conducted the dead into the underworld.
Thoth ( /'?o??/ or /'to?t/; from Greek, from Egyptian ??wty, perhaps pronounced ?i?auti) was considered one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon, animals sacred to him. His feminine counterpart was Seshat.[1] Thoth's chief temple was located in the city of Khmun,[2] later renamed Hermopolis Magna during the Greco-Roman era[3] (in reference to him through the Greeks' interpretation that he was the same as their god Hermes) and Eshmûnên in the Coptic rendering. In that city, he led the Ogdoad pantheon of eight principal deities. He also had numerous shrines within the cities of Abydos, Hesert, Urit, Per-Ab, Rekhui, Ta-ur, Sep, Hat, Pselket, Talmsis, Antcha-Mutet, Bah, Amen-heri-ab, and Ta-kens.[4]Thoth was often considered to be the heart—which, according to the ancient Egyptians, is the seat of intelligence or the mind—and tongue of the sun god Ra, as well as the means by which Ra's will was translated into speech.[5] He was also related to the Logos of Plato[5] and the mind of God[6] (see The All). He played many vital and prominent roles in Egyptian mythology, such as maintaining the universe, and being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at, who was also his wife) who stood on either side of Ra's boat.[7] In the later history of ancient Egypt, Thoth became heavily associated with the arbitration of godly disputes,[8] the arts of magic, the system of writing, the development of science,[9] and the judgment of the dead.
Thoth has been depicted in many ways depending on the era and on the aspect the artist wished to convey. Usually, he is depicted in his human form with the head of an ibis.[21] In this form, he can be represented as the reckoner of times and seasons by a headdress of the lunar disk sitting on top of a crescent moon resting on his head. When depicted as a form of Shu or Ankher, he was depicted to be wearing the respective god's headdress. Sometimes he was also seen in art to be wearing the Atef crown or the United Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.[15] When not depicted in this common form, he sometimes takes the form of the ibis directly.[21] He also appears as a dog faced baboon or a man with the head of a baboon when he is A'an, the god of equilibrium.[22] In the form of A'ah-Djehuty he took a more human-looking form.[23] These forms are all symbolic and are metaphors for Thoth's attributes. The Egyptians did not believe these gods actually looked like humans with animal heads.[24] For example, Ma'at is often depicted with an ostrich feather, "the feather of truth," on her head,[25] or with a feather for a head.
Thoth ( /'?o??/ or /'to?t/; from Greek, from Egyptian ??wty, perhaps pronounced ?i?auti) was considered one of the more important deities of the Egyptian pantheon. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon, animals sacred to him. His feminine counterpart was Seshat.[1] Thoth's chief temple was located in the city of Khmun,[2] later renamed Hermopolis Magna during the Greco-Roman era[3] (in reference to him through the Greeks' interpretation that he was the same as their god Hermes) and Eshmûnên in the Coptic rendering. In that city, he led the Ogdoad pantheon of eight principal deities. He also had numerous shrines within the cities of Abydos, Hesert, Urit, Per-Ab, Rekhui, Ta-ur, Sep, Hat, Pselket, Talmsis, Antcha-Mutet, Bah, Amen-heri-ab, and Ta-kens.[4]Thoth was often considered to be the heart—which, according to the ancient Egyptians, is the seat of intelligence or the mind—and tongue of the sun god Ra, as well as the means by which Ra's will was translated into speech.[5] He was also related to the Logos of Plato[5] and the mind of God[6] (see The All). He played many vital and prominent roles in Egyptian mythology, such as maintaining the universe, and being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at, who was also his wife) who stood on either side of Ra's boat.[7] In the later history of ancient Egypt, Thoth became heavily associated with the arbitration of godly disputes,[8] the arts of magic, the system of writing, the development of science,[9] and the judgment of the dead.
Thoth has been depicted in many ways depending on the era and on the aspect the artist wished to convey. Usually, he is depicted in his human form with the head of an ibis.[21] In this form, he can be represented as the reckoner of times and seasons by a headdress of the lunar disk sitting on top of a crescent moon resting on his head. When depicted as a form of Shu or Ankher, he was depicted to be wearing the respective god's headdress. Sometimes he was also seen in art to be wearing the Atef crown or the United Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.[15] When not depicted in this common form, he sometimes takes the form of the ibis directly.[21] He also appears as a dog faced baboon or a man with the head of a baboon when he is A'an, the god of equilibrium.[22] In the form of A'ah-Djehuty he took a more human-looking form.[23] These forms are all symbolic and are metaphors for Thoth's attributes. The Egyptians did not believe these gods actually looked like humans with animal heads.[24] For example, Ma'at is often depicted with an ostrich feather, "the feather of truth," on her head,[25] or with a feather for a head.
T H E D E I F I E D E G Y P T I A N P O L Y M A T H
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we shall die."
IMHOTEP
IMHOTEP
First Architect and Physician; Imhotep is the first architect and physician known by name to written history. He is also considered to be the world's first known genius. As the Pharaoh Djosèr's Vizier, he designed the Pyramid of Djzosèr at Saqqara in Egypt around 2630-2611 BC, during the 3rd Dynasty.
Imhotep also served as chancellor to the pharaoh and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. He was said to be a son of Ptah. He was revered as a genius and was showered with titles. His full list is 'Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Sculptor and Maker of Vases in Chief'. Imhotep is credited as the founder of Egyptian medicine, and as author of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, detailing cures, ailments and anatomical observations. The Papyrus Edwin Smith was probably written around 1700 BC but may perhaps go back to texts written around 1000 years earlier.
Imhotep Becomes The God of Medicine and Healing
Two thousand years after his death, his status was raised to that of a god. Imhotep became the god of medicine and healing. He was linked to Asclepius by the Greeks. In artwork he is linked with other gods (a common practice in Ancient Egypt) such as Hathor, Maàt, and Amenhotep son of Hapu (another deified architect).
Imhotep QuoteImhotep's most quoted saying is "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we shall die."
Imhotep also served as chancellor to the pharaoh and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. He was said to be a son of Ptah. He was revered as a genius and was showered with titles. His full list is 'Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Sculptor and Maker of Vases in Chief'. Imhotep is credited as the founder of Egyptian medicine, and as author of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, detailing cures, ailments and anatomical observations. The Papyrus Edwin Smith was probably written around 1700 BC but may perhaps go back to texts written around 1000 years earlier.
Imhotep Becomes The God of Medicine and Healing
Two thousand years after his death, his status was raised to that of a god. Imhotep became the god of medicine and healing. He was linked to Asclepius by the Greeks. In artwork he is linked with other gods (a common practice in Ancient Egypt) such as Hathor, Maàt, and Amenhotep son of Hapu (another deified architect).
Imhotep QuoteImhotep's most quoted saying is "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we shall die."
T H E I C O N O C L A S T I C P H A R A O H
"Indulge not thyself in the passion of anger; it is whetting a sword to wound thine own breast, or murder
thy friend."
AKHENATEN
thy friend."
AKHENATEN
Akhenaten also spelled Echnaton, Ikhnaton, and Khuenaten; meaning 'living spirit of Aten') known before the fifth year of his reign as Amenhotep IV (sometimes given its Greek form, Amenophis IV, and meaning Amun is Satisfied), was a Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled for 17 years and died perhaps in 1336 BC or 1334 BC. He is especially noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, which is sometimes described as monotheistic or henotheistic. An early inscription likens him to the sun as compared to stars, and later official language avoids calling the Aten a god, giving the solar deity a status above mere gods.
Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end it would not be accepted. After his death, traditional religious practice was gradually restored, and when some dozen years later rulers without clear rights of succession from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors, referring to Akhenaten himself as 'the enemy' in archival records.
He was all but lost from history until the discovery, in the 19th century, of Amarna, the site of Akhetaten, the city he built for the Aten. Early excavations at Amarna by Flinders Petrie sparked interest in the enigmatic pharaoh, whose tomb was unearthed in 1907 in a dig led by Edward R. Ayrton. Interest in Akhenaten increased with the discovery in the Valley of the Kings, at Luxor, of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, who has been proved to be Akhenaten's son according to DNA testing in 2010 by Zahi Hawass of Cairo. A mummy found in KV55 in 1907 almost certainly belongs to Akhenaten. This elder man and Tutankhamun are related without question.
Akhenaten remains an interesting figure, as does his Queen, Nefertiti. Their modern interest comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun, partly from the unique style and high quality of the pictorial arts he patronized, and partly from ongoing interest in the religion he attempted to establish.mans with animal heads. For example, Ma'at is often depicted with an ostrich feather, "the feather of truth," on her head, or with a feather for a head.
Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end it would not be accepted. After his death, traditional religious practice was gradually restored, and when some dozen years later rulers without clear rights of succession from the Eighteenth Dynasty founded a new dynasty, they discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors, referring to Akhenaten himself as 'the enemy' in archival records.
He was all but lost from history until the discovery, in the 19th century, of Amarna, the site of Akhetaten, the city he built for the Aten. Early excavations at Amarna by Flinders Petrie sparked interest in the enigmatic pharaoh, whose tomb was unearthed in 1907 in a dig led by Edward R. Ayrton. Interest in Akhenaten increased with the discovery in the Valley of the Kings, at Luxor, of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, who has been proved to be Akhenaten's son according to DNA testing in 2010 by Zahi Hawass of Cairo. A mummy found in KV55 in 1907 almost certainly belongs to Akhenaten. This elder man and Tutankhamun are related without question.
Akhenaten remains an interesting figure, as does his Queen, Nefertiti. Their modern interest comes partly from his connection with Tutankhamun, partly from the unique style and high quality of the pictorial arts he patronized, and partly from ongoing interest in the religion he attempted to establish.mans with animal heads. For example, Ma'at is often depicted with an ostrich feather, "the feather of truth," on her head, or with a feather for a head.
T H E G R E E K G O D O F C O M M U N I C A T I O N A N D L E A R N I N G
"From one Soul of the Universe are all Souls derived."
HERMES
HERMES
Hermes ( /'h?rmi?z/; Greek ??µ??) is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves,[1] of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics and sports, of weights and measures, of invention, and of commerce in general.[2] His symbols include the tortoise, the rooster, the winged sandals, the winged hat, and the caduceus.
Roman adaptation of the Greek religion (see interpretatio romana), Hermes was identified with the Roman god Mercury, who, though inherited from the Etruscans, developed many similar characteristics, such as being the patron of commerce.
The Homeric hymn to Hermes invokes him as the one "of many shifts (polytropos), blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth wonderful deeds among the deathless gods."
He protects and takes care of all the travelers, miscreants, harlots, old crones and thieves that pray to him or cross his path. He is athletic and is always looking out for runners, or any athletes with injuries who need his help.
Hermes is a messenger from the gods to humans, sharing this role with Iris. An interpreter who bridges the boundaries with strangers is a hermeneus. Hermes' name is the root of the word "hermeneutics", the study and theory of interpretation. In Greek a lucky find was a hermaion. Hermes delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He wears shoes with wings on them and uses them to fly freely between the mortal and immortal world. Hermes was the second youngest of the Olympian gods, being born before Dionysus.
Hermes, as an inventor of fire, is a parallel of the Titan, Prometheus. In addition to the lyre, Hermes was believed to have invented many types of racing and the sports of wrestling and boxing, and therefore was a patron of athletes.
According to prominent folklorist Yeleazar Meletinsky, Hermes is a deified trickster. Hermes also served as a psychopomp, or an escort for the dead to help them find their way to the afterlife (the Underworld in the Greek myths). In many Greek myths, Hermes was depicted as the only god besides Hades, Persephone, Hecate, and Thanatos who could enter and leave the Underworld without hindrance.
Hermes often helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks would sacrifice to Hermes before any trip.In the fully developed Olympian pantheon, Hermes was the son of Zeus and the Pleiade Maia, a daughter of the Titan Atlas. Hermes' symbols were the rooster and the tortoise, and he can be recognized by his purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and the herald's staff, the kerykeion. The night he was born he slipped away from Maia and stole his elder brother Apollo's cattle.
Roman adaptation of the Greek religion (see interpretatio romana), Hermes was identified with the Roman god Mercury, who, though inherited from the Etruscans, developed many similar characteristics, such as being the patron of commerce.
The Homeric hymn to Hermes invokes him as the one "of many shifts (polytropos), blandly cunning, a robber, a cattle driver, a bringer of dreams, a watcher by night, a thief at the gates, one who was soon to show forth wonderful deeds among the deathless gods."
He protects and takes care of all the travelers, miscreants, harlots, old crones and thieves that pray to him or cross his path. He is athletic and is always looking out for runners, or any athletes with injuries who need his help.
Hermes is a messenger from the gods to humans, sharing this role with Iris. An interpreter who bridges the boundaries with strangers is a hermeneus. Hermes' name is the root of the word "hermeneutics", the study and theory of interpretation. In Greek a lucky find was a hermaion. Hermes delivered messages from Olympus to the mortal world. He wears shoes with wings on them and uses them to fly freely between the mortal and immortal world. Hermes was the second youngest of the Olympian gods, being born before Dionysus.
Hermes, as an inventor of fire, is a parallel of the Titan, Prometheus. In addition to the lyre, Hermes was believed to have invented many types of racing and the sports of wrestling and boxing, and therefore was a patron of athletes.
According to prominent folklorist Yeleazar Meletinsky, Hermes is a deified trickster. Hermes also served as a psychopomp, or an escort for the dead to help them find their way to the afterlife (the Underworld in the Greek myths). In many Greek myths, Hermes was depicted as the only god besides Hades, Persephone, Hecate, and Thanatos who could enter and leave the Underworld without hindrance.
Hermes often helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks would sacrifice to Hermes before any trip.In the fully developed Olympian pantheon, Hermes was the son of Zeus and the Pleiade Maia, a daughter of the Titan Atlas. Hermes' symbols were the rooster and the tortoise, and he can be recognized by his purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and the herald's staff, the kerykeion. The night he was born he slipped away from Maia and stole his elder brother Apollo's cattle.
T H E L E G E N D A R Y H E A L E R
"Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?"
SOCRATES
SOCRATES
Final, ironic, words of the dying Socrates. Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia (Hygiene), Iaso (Medicine), Aceso (Healing), Aglæa/Ægle (Healthy Glow), and Panacea (Universal Remedy). The rod of Asclepius, a snake-entwined staff, remains a symbol of medicine today, although sometimes the caduceus, or staff with two snakes, is mistakenly used instead. He was associated with the Roman/Etruscan god Vediovis. He was one of Apollo's sons, sharing with Apollo the epithet Paean (the Healer). Some historians have proposed that there may have been a historical Asclepius during the Greek Dark Ages, who became the subject of a Hero cult and on whom the mythological character was based.
Asclepius was a Greek hero who later become the Greek god of medicine and healing. The son of Apollo and Coronis, Asclepius had five daughters, Aceso, Iaso, Panacea, Aglaea and Hygieia. He was worshipped throughout the Greek world but his most famous sanctuary was located in Epidaurus which is situated in the northeastern Peloponnese. The main attribute of Asclepius is a physician's staff with an Asclepian snake wrapped around it; this is how he was distinguished in the art of healing, and his attribute still survives to this day as the symbol of the modern medical profession. The cock was also sacred to Asclepius and was the bird they sacrificed as his altar.
The mother of Asclepius, Coronis, was a mortal, the daughter of Phlegyas, a king of Thessaly. Coronis was unfaithful to Apollo, and Artemis, Apollo's twin sister, killed her for her unfaithfulness. Coronis was placed upon a funeral pyre. (One version says that Apollo cast her into the fires of his own anger.) As her body started to burn, Apollo felt sorrow for his unborn son and snatched the child Asclepius from his mother's corpse, saving him from death. Apollo then handed Asclepius to the Centaur Chiron who became his tutor and mentor.
Chiron taught Asclepius the art of healing. According to Pindar (Pythian Odes), Asclepius also acquired the knowledge of surgery, the use of drugs, love potions and incantations, and according to Apollodorus (the Library), Athena gave Asclepius a magic potion made from the blood of the Gorgon. Legend tells that the blood of the Gorgon has a different effect depending from which side the blood was taken. If taken from the right side of the Gorgon, it has a miraculous effect and is said to be able to bring the dead back to life, but taken from the left side it is a deadly poison.
With these gifts Asclepius exceeded the fringes of human knowledge. However, he offended the great god Zeus by accepting money in exchange for raising the dead. (In one version it was the goddess Artemis who implored Asclepius to resurrect Hippolytus, a favourite of hers.) In the eyes of Zeus, Asclepius' action upset the natural order of the universe - a mere mortal helping man evade death. With one swift action, the great Zeus sent down a thunderbolt killing both men. (In some versions Zeus only killed Asclepius.)
Realising the good Asclepius had brought to man, the great Zeus made him into a god, placing him among the stars, transforming Asclepius into the constellation Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer). The snake was used in the healing ritual; non-poisonous snakes were left in the dormitory where the sick slept overnight on the bare ground.
The cult of Asclepius became very popular during the 300s BCE and the cult centres (known as an Asclepieion) were used by priests to cure the sick. Invalids also came to the shrines of Asclepius to find cures for their ailments (in the same fashion pilgrims visit Lourdes today.) The process of healing was known as incubation. The patient would spend the night in a dormitory. During the night they would supposedly be visited by the god in a dream. Priests would interpret the dreams and then recommend a remedy or give advice on how they could be cured with perhaps a recommended visit to the baths and gymnasiums. There were many centres and schools of medicine, from Trikkis in Thessaly to the island of Cos. It is believed that Hippocrates, a great doctor of antiquity, plied his trade on the island of Cos. It is also said that Hippocrates was a descendant of Asclepius.The Romans adopted the cult of Asclepius, but changed his name to Latin; they called him Aesculapius.
Asclepius was a Greek hero who later become the Greek god of medicine and healing. The son of Apollo and Coronis, Asclepius had five daughters, Aceso, Iaso, Panacea, Aglaea and Hygieia. He was worshipped throughout the Greek world but his most famous sanctuary was located in Epidaurus which is situated in the northeastern Peloponnese. The main attribute of Asclepius is a physician's staff with an Asclepian snake wrapped around it; this is how he was distinguished in the art of healing, and his attribute still survives to this day as the symbol of the modern medical profession. The cock was also sacred to Asclepius and was the bird they sacrificed as his altar.
The mother of Asclepius, Coronis, was a mortal, the daughter of Phlegyas, a king of Thessaly. Coronis was unfaithful to Apollo, and Artemis, Apollo's twin sister, killed her for her unfaithfulness. Coronis was placed upon a funeral pyre. (One version says that Apollo cast her into the fires of his own anger.) As her body started to burn, Apollo felt sorrow for his unborn son and snatched the child Asclepius from his mother's corpse, saving him from death. Apollo then handed Asclepius to the Centaur Chiron who became his tutor and mentor.
Chiron taught Asclepius the art of healing. According to Pindar (Pythian Odes), Asclepius also acquired the knowledge of surgery, the use of drugs, love potions and incantations, and according to Apollodorus (the Library), Athena gave Asclepius a magic potion made from the blood of the Gorgon. Legend tells that the blood of the Gorgon has a different effect depending from which side the blood was taken. If taken from the right side of the Gorgon, it has a miraculous effect and is said to be able to bring the dead back to life, but taken from the left side it is a deadly poison.
With these gifts Asclepius exceeded the fringes of human knowledge. However, he offended the great god Zeus by accepting money in exchange for raising the dead. (In one version it was the goddess Artemis who implored Asclepius to resurrect Hippolytus, a favourite of hers.) In the eyes of Zeus, Asclepius' action upset the natural order of the universe - a mere mortal helping man evade death. With one swift action, the great Zeus sent down a thunderbolt killing both men. (In some versions Zeus only killed Asclepius.)
Realising the good Asclepius had brought to man, the great Zeus made him into a god, placing him among the stars, transforming Asclepius into the constellation Ophiuchus (the serpent-bearer). The snake was used in the healing ritual; non-poisonous snakes were left in the dormitory where the sick slept overnight on the bare ground.
The cult of Asclepius became very popular during the 300s BCE and the cult centres (known as an Asclepieion) were used by priests to cure the sick. Invalids also came to the shrines of Asclepius to find cures for their ailments (in the same fashion pilgrims visit Lourdes today.) The process of healing was known as incubation. The patient would spend the night in a dormitory. During the night they would supposedly be visited by the god in a dream. Priests would interpret the dreams and then recommend a remedy or give advice on how they could be cured with perhaps a recommended visit to the baths and gymnasiums. There were many centres and schools of medicine, from Trikkis in Thessaly to the island of Cos. It is believed that Hippocrates, a great doctor of antiquity, plied his trade on the island of Cos. It is also said that Hippocrates was a descendant of Asclepius.The Romans adopted the cult of Asclepius, but changed his name to Latin; they called him Aesculapius.
T H E A S S Y R I A N A N D B A B Y L O N I A N G O D O F W I S D O M
"I need not fear my enemies because the most they can do is attack me. I need not fear my friends because the most they can do is betray me. But I have much to fear from people who are indifferent."
ASSYRIAN PROVERB
ASSYRIAN PROVERB
Nabu is the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as the son of Marduk and his consort, Sarpanitum, and as the grandson of Ea. Nabu's consort was Tashmetum.
Originally, Nabu was a West Semitic deity introduced by the Amorites into Mesopotamia, probably at the same time as Marduk shortly after 2000 BC. While Marduk became Babylon's main deity, Nabu resided in nearby Borsippa in his temple E-zida. He was first called the "scribe and minister of Marduk", later assimilated as Marduk's beloved son from Sarpanitum. During the Babylonian New Year Festival, the cult statue of Nabu was transported from Borsippa to Babylon in order to commune with his father Marduk.
Nabu later became one of the principal gods in Assyria and Assyrians addressed many prayers and inscriptions to Nabu and named children after him. Nabu was the god of writing and scribes and was the keeper of the Tablets of Destiny, in which the fate of humankind was recorded. He was also sometimes worshiped as a fertility god and as a god of water.
Nabu is accorded the office of patron of the scribes, taking over from the Sumerian goddess Nisaba. His symbols are the clay writing tablet with the writing stylus. He wears a horned cap, and stands with hands clasped, in the ancient gesture of priesthood. He rides on a winged dragon (mušhuššu, also known as Sirrush) that is initially Marduk's.
Drawing of a statue in the British Museum.
The etymology of his name is disputed. It could be derived from the root nb´ for "to call or announce", meaning something like "He who has called".
His power over human existence is immense, because Nabu engraves the destiny of each person, as the gods have decided, on the tablets of sacred record. Thus, He has the power to increase or diminish, at will, the length of human life.
Nabu is mentioned in the Nevi'im of the Tanakh as Nebo in Isaiah 46:1.
A statue of Nabu from Calah, erected during the reign of the Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser III is on display in the British Museum.
In late Babylonian astrology, Nabu was connected with the planet Mercury. As the god of wisdom and writing, he was equated by the Greeks to either Apollo or Hermes, the latter identified by the Romans with their own god Mercury.
Originally, Nabu was a West Semitic deity introduced by the Amorites into Mesopotamia, probably at the same time as Marduk shortly after 2000 BC. While Marduk became Babylon's main deity, Nabu resided in nearby Borsippa in his temple E-zida. He was first called the "scribe and minister of Marduk", later assimilated as Marduk's beloved son from Sarpanitum. During the Babylonian New Year Festival, the cult statue of Nabu was transported from Borsippa to Babylon in order to commune with his father Marduk.
Nabu later became one of the principal gods in Assyria and Assyrians addressed many prayers and inscriptions to Nabu and named children after him. Nabu was the god of writing and scribes and was the keeper of the Tablets of Destiny, in which the fate of humankind was recorded. He was also sometimes worshiped as a fertility god and as a god of water.
Nabu is accorded the office of patron of the scribes, taking over from the Sumerian goddess Nisaba. His symbols are the clay writing tablet with the writing stylus. He wears a horned cap, and stands with hands clasped, in the ancient gesture of priesthood. He rides on a winged dragon (mušhuššu, also known as Sirrush) that is initially Marduk's.
Drawing of a statue in the British Museum.
The etymology of his name is disputed. It could be derived from the root nb´ for "to call or announce", meaning something like "He who has called".
His power over human existence is immense, because Nabu engraves the destiny of each person, as the gods have decided, on the tablets of sacred record. Thus, He has the power to increase or diminish, at will, the length of human life.
Nabu is mentioned in the Nevi'im of the Tanakh as Nebo in Isaiah 46:1.
A statue of Nabu from Calah, erected during the reign of the Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser III is on display in the British Museum.
In late Babylonian astrology, Nabu was connected with the planet Mercury. As the god of wisdom and writing, he was equated by the Greeks to either Apollo or Hermes, the latter identified by the Romans with their own god Mercury.
T H E S Y N C R E T I Z E D R O M A N G O D
"When the alchemist speaks of Mercurius, on the face of it he means quicksilver (mercury), but inwardly he means the world-creating spirit concealed or imprisoned in matter."
CARL JUNG
CARL JUNG
And the Romans had a 'me too' (syncretized) god called Mercury. Mercury; Latin: Mercurius was a messenger,[1] and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx ("merchandise"; compare merchant, commerce, etc.), mercari (to trade), and merces (wages). In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms, but most of his characteristics and mythology were borrowed from the analogous Greek deity, Hermes. Latin writers rewrote Hermes' myths and substituted his name with that of Mercury. However, there are at least two myths that involve Mercury that are Roman in origin. In Virgil's Aeneid, Mercury reminds Aeneas of his mission to found the city of Rome. In Ovid's Fasti, Mercury is assigned to escort the nymph Larunda to the underworld. Mercury, however, fell in love with Larunda and made love to her on the way; this act has also been interpreted as a rape. Larunda thereby became mother to two children, referred to as the Lares, invisible household gods.Mercury has influenced the name of many things in a variety of scientific fields, such as the planet Mercury, and the element mercury.[3] The word mercurial is commonly used to refer to something or someone erratic, volatile or unstable, derived from Mercury's swift flights from place to place. He is often depicted holding the Caduceus in his left hand.
T H E T I T A N B E N E F A C T O R
"Then beneath the earth those hidden blessings for man, bronze, iron, silver and gold—who can claim to have discovered before me? No one, I am sure, who wants to speak to the purpose. In one short sentence understand it all: every art of mankind comes from Prometheus."
AESCHYLUS - Prometheus Bound
AESCHYLUS - Prometheus Bound
PROMETHEUS was the Titan god of forethought and crafty counsel who was entrusted with the task of moulding mankind out of clay. His attempts to better the lives of his creation brought him into direct conflict with Zeus. Firstly he tricked the gods out of the best portion of the sacrificial feast, acquiring the meat for the feasting of man. Then, when Zeus withheld fire, he stole it from heaven and delivered it to mortal kind hidden inside a fennel-stalk. As punishment for these rebellious acts, Zeus ordered the creation of Pandora (the first woman) as a means to deliver misfortune into the house of man, or as a way to cheat mankind of the company of the good spirits. Prometheus meanwhile, was arrested and bound to a stake on Mount Kaukasos where an eagle was set to feed upon his ever-regenerating liver (or, some say, heart). Generations later the great hero Herakles came along and released the old Titan from his torture.
T H E J U D A I C A N D I S L A M I C P R O P H E T
"The main subjects of the later Merkabah mysticism already occupy a central position in the older esoteric literature, best represented by the Book of Enoch."
GERSHOM SCHOLEM
GERSHOM SCHOLEM
The Jewish prophet Enoch shares many of Thoth’s attributes and is regarded as a Hebrew equivalent; and to complicate matters further the Islamic prophet Idris also fits the profile Enoch (Hebrew: ???????, Modern H_anokh Tiberian ?ano?; Arabic: ?????? 'Idris) is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson, through Seth, and the text reads—uniquely in the Generations—that Enoch "walked with God: and he was not; for God took him," avoiding the mortal death ascribed to Adam's other descendants. Additionally, Enoch is described as the father of Methuselah and great-grandfather of Noah (Genesis 5:22-29). Enoch is the son of Jared.Despite the brief descriptions of him, Enoch is one of the main two focal points for much of the 1st millennium BC Jewish mysticism, notably in the Book of Enoch. Additionally, Enoch is important in some Christian denominations: He is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Catholic Church on July 26. He also features in the Latter Day Saint movement.
Enoch appears in Genesis as the seventh of the ten pre-Deluge Patriarchs. The function of the Patriarchs is primarily to mark the passage of immense periods of time[citation needed]: each lives for several centuries, has a son, lives more centuries, and dies. Enoch is unique in the series on two counts: his life-span of 365 years is extremely short in the context of his long-lived peers, and he does not die, the Bible noting rather that "he was not, for God took him." (Genesis 5:22-29).
These recount how Enoch is taken up to Heaven and is appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the immediate attendant on God's throne. He is subsequently taught all secrets and mysteries and, with all the angels at his back, fulfils of his own accord whatever comes out of the mouth of God, executing His decrees. Enoch was also seen as the inventor of writing, and teacher of astronomy and arithmetic, all three reflecting the interpretation of his name as meaning initiated. Much esoteric literature like the 3rd Book of Enoch identifies Enoch as the Metatron, the angel which communicates God's word. In consequence, Enoch was seen, by this literature, and the ancient kabbala of Jewish mysticism, as having been the one which communicated God's revelation to Moses, in particular, the dictator of the Book of Jubilees.
Islamic literature narrates that Idris was made prophet at around forty, which parallels the age when Muhammad began to prophesy, and lived during a time when people had begun to worship fire.[6] Exegesis embellishes upon the lifetime of Idris, and states that the prophet divided his time into two. For three days of the week, Idris would preach to his people and four days he would devote solely to the worship of God.[6] Many early commentators, such as Tabari,[7] credited Idris with possessing great wisdom and knowledge. Exegesis narrates that Idris was among the first men to use the pen as well as being one of the first men to observe the movement of the stars and set out scientific weights and measures.[6] These attributes remain consistent with the identification of Enoch with Idris as these attributes make it clear that Idris would have most probably lived during the Generations of Adam,[6] the same era during which Enoch lived. Ibn Arabi described Idris as the "prophet of the philosophers" and a number of works were attributed to him.[8] Some scholars wrote commentaries on these supposed works,[9] all while Idris was also credited with plenty of inventions and the art of making garments.
Classical commentators used to popularly identify Idris with Enoch, the patriarch who lived in the Generations of Adam. An example is Ismail Hakki Bursevî's commentary on Fusus al-hikam by Muhyiddin ibn ?Arabi.[10] Modern scholars, however, do not concur with this identification because they argue that it lacks definitive proof. As Qur'anic translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali says in note 2508 of his translation:Idris is mentioned twice in the Quran, viz., here and in Chapter 21, verse 85, where he is mentioned as among those who patiently persevered. His identification with the Biblical Enoch, may or may not be correct. Nor are we justified in interpreting verse 57 here as meaning the same thing as in Genesis, v.24 ("God took him"), that he was taken up without passing through the portals of death. All we are told is he was a man of truth and sincerity, and a prophet, and that he had a high position among his people.—Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary[11][edit]HermesBahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote in one of his tablets: The first person who devoted himself to philosophy was Idris. Thus was he named. Some called him also Hermes. In every tongue he hath a special name. He it is who hath set forth in every branch of philosophy thorough and convincing statements. After him Balínús derived his knowledge and sciences from the Hermetic Tablets and most of the philosophers who followed him made their philosophical and scientific discoveries from his words and statements....
Enoch appears in Genesis as the seventh of the ten pre-Deluge Patriarchs. The function of the Patriarchs is primarily to mark the passage of immense periods of time[citation needed]: each lives for several centuries, has a son, lives more centuries, and dies. Enoch is unique in the series on two counts: his life-span of 365 years is extremely short in the context of his long-lived peers, and he does not die, the Bible noting rather that "he was not, for God took him." (Genesis 5:22-29).
These recount how Enoch is taken up to Heaven and is appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the immediate attendant on God's throne. He is subsequently taught all secrets and mysteries and, with all the angels at his back, fulfils of his own accord whatever comes out of the mouth of God, executing His decrees. Enoch was also seen as the inventor of writing, and teacher of astronomy and arithmetic, all three reflecting the interpretation of his name as meaning initiated. Much esoteric literature like the 3rd Book of Enoch identifies Enoch as the Metatron, the angel which communicates God's word. In consequence, Enoch was seen, by this literature, and the ancient kabbala of Jewish mysticism, as having been the one which communicated God's revelation to Moses, in particular, the dictator of the Book of Jubilees.
Islamic literature narrates that Idris was made prophet at around forty, which parallels the age when Muhammad began to prophesy, and lived during a time when people had begun to worship fire.[6] Exegesis embellishes upon the lifetime of Idris, and states that the prophet divided his time into two. For three days of the week, Idris would preach to his people and four days he would devote solely to the worship of God.[6] Many early commentators, such as Tabari,[7] credited Idris with possessing great wisdom and knowledge. Exegesis narrates that Idris was among the first men to use the pen as well as being one of the first men to observe the movement of the stars and set out scientific weights and measures.[6] These attributes remain consistent with the identification of Enoch with Idris as these attributes make it clear that Idris would have most probably lived during the Generations of Adam,[6] the same era during which Enoch lived. Ibn Arabi described Idris as the "prophet of the philosophers" and a number of works were attributed to him.[8] Some scholars wrote commentaries on these supposed works,[9] all while Idris was also credited with plenty of inventions and the art of making garments.
Classical commentators used to popularly identify Idris with Enoch, the patriarch who lived in the Generations of Adam. An example is Ismail Hakki Bursevî's commentary on Fusus al-hikam by Muhyiddin ibn ?Arabi.[10] Modern scholars, however, do not concur with this identification because they argue that it lacks definitive proof. As Qur'anic translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali says in note 2508 of his translation:Idris is mentioned twice in the Quran, viz., here and in Chapter 21, verse 85, where he is mentioned as among those who patiently persevered. His identification with the Biblical Enoch, may or may not be correct. Nor are we justified in interpreting verse 57 here as meaning the same thing as in Genesis, v.24 ("God took him"), that he was taken up without passing through the portals of death. All we are told is he was a man of truth and sincerity, and a prophet, and that he had a high position among his people.—Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary[11][edit]HermesBahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote in one of his tablets: The first person who devoted himself to philosophy was Idris. Thus was he named. Some called him also Hermes. In every tongue he hath a special name. He it is who hath set forth in every branch of philosophy thorough and convincing statements. After him Balínús derived his knowledge and sciences from the Hermetic Tablets and most of the philosophers who followed him made their philosophical and scientific discoveries from his words and statements....
T H E H U M A N I S T P H I L O S O P H E R
"In India, I found a race of mortals living upon the Earth, but not adhering to it, inhabiting cities, but not being fixed to them, possessing everything, but possessed by nothing."
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA
Apollonius of Tyana (Greek: ?p???????? ? ??a?e??; ca. 15?–ca. 100? AD[2]) was a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher from the town of Tyana in the Roman province of Cappadocia in Asia Minor. Little is certainly known about him. Being a 1st-century orator and philosopher around the time of Christ, he was compared to Jesus of Nazareth by Christians in the 4th century and by various popular writers in modern times.
pollonius's dates are uncertain. His primary biographer, Philostratus the Elder (c.170–247 CE) places him c. 3 BCE to 97 CE. Others agree that he was roughly a contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth. Charles P. Eells states that his date of birth was three years before Jesus, whose date of birth is also uncertain. However, Philostratus, in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, places him staying in the court of King Vardanes I of Parthia for a while, who ruled between c.40–47 CE. Apollonius began a five year silence at about the age of 20, and after the completion of this silence travelled to Mesopotamia and Iran. Philostratus also mentions emperors Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and Nerva at various points throughout Apollonius’ life. Given this information, a timeline of roughly the years 15–98 CE can be established for his adult life.
[edit]Sources
By far the most detailed source is the Life of Apollonius of Tyana, a lengthy, novelistic biography written by the sophist Philostratus at the request of empress Julia Domna. She took her own life in 217 CE, and he completed it after her death, probably in the 220s or 230s CE. Philostratus’ account shaped the image of Apollonius for posterity and still dominates discussions about him in our times. To some extent it is a valuable source because it contains data from older writings which were available to Philostratus but disappeared later on. Among these works are an excerpt (preserved by Eusebius) from On sacrifices, and certain alleged letters of Apollonius. The sage may really have written some of these works, along with the no-longer extant Biography of Pythagoras. At least two biographical sources that Philostratus used are lost: a book by the imperial secretary Maximus describing Apollonius’ activities in Maximus' home-city of Aegaeae in Cilicia, and a biography by a certain Moiragenes. There also survives, separately from the Life by Philostratus, a collection of letters of Apollonius, but at least some of these seem to be spurious.
One of the essential sources Philostratus claimed to know are the “memoirs” (or “diary”) of Damis, an acolyte and companion of Apollonius. Some scholars believe the notebooks of Damis were an invention of Philostratus, while others think it was a real book forged by someone else and used by Philostratus. Philostratus describes Apollonius as a wandering teacher of philosophy and miracle worker who was mainly active in Greece and Asia Minor but also traveled to Italy, Spain and North Africa and even to Mesopotamia, India, and Ethiopia. In particular, he tells lengthy stories of Apollonius entering the city of Rome in disregard of emperor Nero’s ban on philosophers, and later on being summoned, as a defendant, to the court of Domitian, where he defied the emperor in blunt terms. He had allegedly been accused of conspiring against the emperor, performing human sacrifice, and predicting a plague by means of magic. Philostratus implies that upon his death, Apollonius of Tyana underwent heavenly assumption.
How much of this can be accepted as historical truth depends largely on the extent to which modern scholars trust Philostratus, and in particular on whether they believe in the reality of Damis. Some of these scholars contend that he never came to Western Europe and was virtually unknown there until the 3rd century AD when empress Julia Domna, who was herself from the province of Syria, decided to popularize him and his teachings in Rome. For that purpose, so these same scholars believe, she commissioned Philostratus to write the biography, where Apollonius is exalted as a fearless sage with supernatural powers, even greater than Pythagoras. This view of Julia Domna's role in the making of the Apollonius-legend gets some support from the fact that her son Caracalla worshiped him, and her grandnephew emperor Severus Alexander may have done so as well.
Apollonius was also a known figure in the medieval Islamic world as described later in this article.
Historical facts
With the exception of the Adana Inscription, little can be derived from sources other than Philostratus. Hence if we dismiss Philostratus’ colorful stories as fiction, the figure of the historical Apollonius appears to be rather shadowy. As James Francis put it, "the most that can be said...is that Apollonius appears to have been a wandering ascetic/philosopher/wonderworker of a type common to the eastern part of the early empire."[16] What we can safely assume is that he was indeed a Pythagorean and as such, in conformity with the Pythagorean tradition, opposed animal sacrifice, and lived on a frugal, strictly vegetarian diet. A minimalist view is that he spent his entire life in the cities of his native Asia Minor and of northern Syria, in particular his home town of Tyana, Ephesus, Aegae, and Antioch, though the letters suggest wider travels, and there seems no reason to deny that, like many wandering philosophers, he at least visited Rome. As for his philosophical convictions, we have an interesting, probably authentic fragment of one of his writings (On sacrifices) where he expresses his view that God, who is the most beautiful being, cannot be influenced by prayers or sacrifices and has no wish to be worshipped by humans, but can be reached by a spiritual procedure involving nous (intellect), because he himself is pure nous and nous is also the greatest faculty of humankind.
Miracles
Philostratus implies on one occasion that Apollonius had extra-sensory perception (Book VIII, Chapter XXVI). When emperor Domitian was murdered on September 18, 96 AD, Apollonius was said to have witnessed the event in Ephesus "about midday" on the day it happened in Rome, and told those present "Take heart, gentlemen, for the tyrant has been slain this day...". The words that Philostratus attributes to him would make equal sense, however, if Apollonius had been informed that the emperor would be killed at noon on September 18. Both Philostratus and renowned historian Cassius Dio report this incident, probably on the basis of an oral tradition. Both state that the philosopher welcomed the deed as a praiseworthy tyrannicide.
Journey to India
Philostratus devoted two and a half of the eight books of his Life of Apollonius (1.19–3.58) to the description of a journey of his hero to India. According to Philostratus' Life, en route to the Far East, Apollonius reached Hierapolis Bambyce (Manbij) in Syria (not Nineveh, as some scholars believed), where he met Damis, a native of that city who became his lifelong companion. Pythagoras, whom the Neo-Pythagoreans regarded as an exemplary sage, was believed to have travelled to India. Hence such a feat made Apollonius look like a good Pythagorean who spared no pains in his efforts to discover the sources of oriental piety and wisdom. As some details in Philostratus’ account of the Indian adventure seem incompatible with known facts, modern scholars are inclined to dismiss the whole story as a fanciful fabrication, but not all of them rule out the possibility that the Tyanean actually did visit India.
What seemed to be independent evidence showing that Apollonius was known in India has now been proved to be forged. In two Sanskrit texts quoted by Sanskritist Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya in 1943 he appears as "Apalunya", in one of them together with Damis (called "Damisa"), it is claimed that Apollonius and Damis were Western yogis, who later on were converted to the correct Advaita philosophy. Some have believed that these Indian sources derived their information from a Sanskrit translation of Philostratus’ work (which would have been a most uncommon and amazing occurrence), or even considered the possibility that it was really an independent confirmation of the historicity of the journey to India.[24] Only in 1995 were the passages in the Sanskrit texts proven to be interpolations by a modern (late 19th century) forger.
Writings
Several writings and many letters have been ascribed to Apollonius, but some of them are lost; others have only been preserved in parts or fragments of disputed authenticity. Porphyry and Iamblichus refer to a biography of Pythagoras by Apollonius, which has not survived; it is also mentioned in the Suda. Apollonius wrote a treatise On sacrifices, of which only a short, probably authentic fragment has come down to us.[27]Philostratus’ Life and the anthology assembled by John Stobaeus contain purported letters of Apollonius. Some of them are cited in full, others only partially. There is also an independently transmitted collection of letters preserved in medieval manuscripts. It is difficult to determine what is authentic and what not. Some of the letters may have been forgeries or literary exercises assembled in collections which were already circulated in the 2nd century AD. It has been asserted that Philostratus himself forged a considerable part of the letters he inserted into his work; others were older forgeries available to him.
pollonius's dates are uncertain. His primary biographer, Philostratus the Elder (c.170–247 CE) places him c. 3 BCE to 97 CE. Others agree that he was roughly a contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth. Charles P. Eells states that his date of birth was three years before Jesus, whose date of birth is also uncertain. However, Philostratus, in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, places him staying in the court of King Vardanes I of Parthia for a while, who ruled between c.40–47 CE. Apollonius began a five year silence at about the age of 20, and after the completion of this silence travelled to Mesopotamia and Iran. Philostratus also mentions emperors Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and Nerva at various points throughout Apollonius’ life. Given this information, a timeline of roughly the years 15–98 CE can be established for his adult life.
[edit]Sources
By far the most detailed source is the Life of Apollonius of Tyana, a lengthy, novelistic biography written by the sophist Philostratus at the request of empress Julia Domna. She took her own life in 217 CE, and he completed it after her death, probably in the 220s or 230s CE. Philostratus’ account shaped the image of Apollonius for posterity and still dominates discussions about him in our times. To some extent it is a valuable source because it contains data from older writings which were available to Philostratus but disappeared later on. Among these works are an excerpt (preserved by Eusebius) from On sacrifices, and certain alleged letters of Apollonius. The sage may really have written some of these works, along with the no-longer extant Biography of Pythagoras. At least two biographical sources that Philostratus used are lost: a book by the imperial secretary Maximus describing Apollonius’ activities in Maximus' home-city of Aegaeae in Cilicia, and a biography by a certain Moiragenes. There also survives, separately from the Life by Philostratus, a collection of letters of Apollonius, but at least some of these seem to be spurious.
One of the essential sources Philostratus claimed to know are the “memoirs” (or “diary”) of Damis, an acolyte and companion of Apollonius. Some scholars believe the notebooks of Damis were an invention of Philostratus, while others think it was a real book forged by someone else and used by Philostratus. Philostratus describes Apollonius as a wandering teacher of philosophy and miracle worker who was mainly active in Greece and Asia Minor but also traveled to Italy, Spain and North Africa and even to Mesopotamia, India, and Ethiopia. In particular, he tells lengthy stories of Apollonius entering the city of Rome in disregard of emperor Nero’s ban on philosophers, and later on being summoned, as a defendant, to the court of Domitian, where he defied the emperor in blunt terms. He had allegedly been accused of conspiring against the emperor, performing human sacrifice, and predicting a plague by means of magic. Philostratus implies that upon his death, Apollonius of Tyana underwent heavenly assumption.
How much of this can be accepted as historical truth depends largely on the extent to which modern scholars trust Philostratus, and in particular on whether they believe in the reality of Damis. Some of these scholars contend that he never came to Western Europe and was virtually unknown there until the 3rd century AD when empress Julia Domna, who was herself from the province of Syria, decided to popularize him and his teachings in Rome. For that purpose, so these same scholars believe, she commissioned Philostratus to write the biography, where Apollonius is exalted as a fearless sage with supernatural powers, even greater than Pythagoras. This view of Julia Domna's role in the making of the Apollonius-legend gets some support from the fact that her son Caracalla worshiped him, and her grandnephew emperor Severus Alexander may have done so as well.
Apollonius was also a known figure in the medieval Islamic world as described later in this article.
Historical facts
With the exception of the Adana Inscription, little can be derived from sources other than Philostratus. Hence if we dismiss Philostratus’ colorful stories as fiction, the figure of the historical Apollonius appears to be rather shadowy. As James Francis put it, "the most that can be said...is that Apollonius appears to have been a wandering ascetic/philosopher/wonderworker of a type common to the eastern part of the early empire."[16] What we can safely assume is that he was indeed a Pythagorean and as such, in conformity with the Pythagorean tradition, opposed animal sacrifice, and lived on a frugal, strictly vegetarian diet. A minimalist view is that he spent his entire life in the cities of his native Asia Minor and of northern Syria, in particular his home town of Tyana, Ephesus, Aegae, and Antioch, though the letters suggest wider travels, and there seems no reason to deny that, like many wandering philosophers, he at least visited Rome. As for his philosophical convictions, we have an interesting, probably authentic fragment of one of his writings (On sacrifices) where he expresses his view that God, who is the most beautiful being, cannot be influenced by prayers or sacrifices and has no wish to be worshipped by humans, but can be reached by a spiritual procedure involving nous (intellect), because he himself is pure nous and nous is also the greatest faculty of humankind.
Miracles
Philostratus implies on one occasion that Apollonius had extra-sensory perception (Book VIII, Chapter XXVI). When emperor Domitian was murdered on September 18, 96 AD, Apollonius was said to have witnessed the event in Ephesus "about midday" on the day it happened in Rome, and told those present "Take heart, gentlemen, for the tyrant has been slain this day...". The words that Philostratus attributes to him would make equal sense, however, if Apollonius had been informed that the emperor would be killed at noon on September 18. Both Philostratus and renowned historian Cassius Dio report this incident, probably on the basis of an oral tradition. Both state that the philosopher welcomed the deed as a praiseworthy tyrannicide.
Journey to India
Philostratus devoted two and a half of the eight books of his Life of Apollonius (1.19–3.58) to the description of a journey of his hero to India. According to Philostratus' Life, en route to the Far East, Apollonius reached Hierapolis Bambyce (Manbij) in Syria (not Nineveh, as some scholars believed), where he met Damis, a native of that city who became his lifelong companion. Pythagoras, whom the Neo-Pythagoreans regarded as an exemplary sage, was believed to have travelled to India. Hence such a feat made Apollonius look like a good Pythagorean who spared no pains in his efforts to discover the sources of oriental piety and wisdom. As some details in Philostratus’ account of the Indian adventure seem incompatible with known facts, modern scholars are inclined to dismiss the whole story as a fanciful fabrication, but not all of them rule out the possibility that the Tyanean actually did visit India.
What seemed to be independent evidence showing that Apollonius was known in India has now been proved to be forged. In two Sanskrit texts quoted by Sanskritist Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya in 1943 he appears as "Apalunya", in one of them together with Damis (called "Damisa"), it is claimed that Apollonius and Damis were Western yogis, who later on were converted to the correct Advaita philosophy. Some have believed that these Indian sources derived their information from a Sanskrit translation of Philostratus’ work (which would have been a most uncommon and amazing occurrence), or even considered the possibility that it was really an independent confirmation of the historicity of the journey to India.[24] Only in 1995 were the passages in the Sanskrit texts proven to be interpolations by a modern (late 19th century) forger.
Writings
Several writings and many letters have been ascribed to Apollonius, but some of them are lost; others have only been preserved in parts or fragments of disputed authenticity. Porphyry and Iamblichus refer to a biography of Pythagoras by Apollonius, which has not survived; it is also mentioned in the Suda. Apollonius wrote a treatise On sacrifices, of which only a short, probably authentic fragment has come down to us.[27]Philostratus’ Life and the anthology assembled by John Stobaeus contain purported letters of Apollonius. Some of them are cited in full, others only partially. There is also an independently transmitted collection of letters preserved in medieval manuscripts. It is difficult to determine what is authentic and what not. Some of the letters may have been forgeries or literary exercises assembled in collections which were already circulated in the 2nd century AD. It has been asserted that Philostratus himself forged a considerable part of the letters he inserted into his work; others were older forgeries available to him.
THE FATHER OF ALCHEMY
Jung argues for a reevaluation of the symbolism of Alchemy as being intimately related to the psychoanalytical process. Using a cycle of dreams of one of his patients he shows how the symbols used by the Alchemists occur in the psyche as part of the reservoir of mythological images drawn upon by the individual in their dream states. Jung draws an analogy between the Great Work of the Alchemists and the process of reintegration and individuation of the psyche in the modern psychiatric patient.
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs[1] based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. These beliefs have heavily influenced the Western Esoteric Tradition and were considered to be of great importance during the Renaissance[2] and Reformation.
The term Hermetic is from medieval Latin hermeticus, which in turn is derived from the name of the Greek god Hermes. It is attested in English since the 17th century as the adjective Hermetic (as in "Hermetic writers" e.g. Franz Bardon). The synonymous Hermetical also occurs in the 17th century. Sir Thomas Browne in his Religio Medici of 1643 wrote, "Now besides these particular and divided Spirits there may be (for ought I know) a universal and common Spirit to the whole world. It was the opinion of Plato , and is yet of the Hermeticall Philosophers." (R.M. Part 1:32)The term Hermetic is from the Greek word Herm, which refers to a pillar or post used in pre-classical Greece "of square shape, surmounted by a head with a beard. The square, limbless "Hermes" was a step in advance of the unwrought stone."[4] The origin of the word Hermes relates to a stone pillar used to communicate with the deities and the use of names beginning with Herm in Greece dates from at least 600 BCE. The God Hermes is a generic term used by the pre-classical Greeks for any deity, and was only later associated with the God of Knowledge in Athens in the 2nd Century CE.[5] The word Hermetic was used by Dr. Everard, 1650 in the English translation of The Pimander of Hermes.[6] Mary Anne Atwood mentioned the use of the word Hermetic by Dufresnoy in 1386.
Further information: Hellenistic religion and Decline of Hellenistic polytheismIn Late Antiquity, Hermetism[9] emerged in parallel with Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and early Christianity, "characterized by a resistance to the dominance of either pure rationality or doctrinal faith".[10]The books now known as the Corpus Hermeticum were part of a renaissance of syncretistic and intellectualized pagan thought that took place around the 2nd century. Other examples of this cultural movement would include Neoplatonist philosophy, the Chaldaean Oracles, late Orphic and Pythagorean literature, as well as much of Gnosticism.The extant Greek texts dwell upon the oneness and goodness of God, urge purification of the soul, and defend pagan religious practices, such as the veneration of images. Many lost Greek texts, and many of the surviving vulgate books, contained discussions of alchemy clothed in philosophical metaphor.[citation needed] And one text, the Asclepius, lost in Greek but partially preserved in Latin, contained a bloody prophecy of the end of Roman rule in Egypt and the resurgence of pagan Egyptian power.The predominant literary form is the dialogue: Hermes Trismegistus instructs a perplexed disciple on some point of hidden wisdom.[edit]RenaissanceAfter some centuries out of favor, Hermeticism was reintroduced to the West in 1460, when the monk Leonardo da Pistoia[11] brought the Corpus Hermeticum to Pistoia. In fact Leonardo da Pistoia (monk) was the pseudonym of Leonardo Alberti de Candia, a noble of the Alberti (family) of the counts of Prato in Pistoia. He was one of the many agents sent out by Florence's ruler, Cosimo de'Medici, to scour European monasteries for lost ancient writings.[12]Leonardo, searched for the ancient Hermetic manuscripts throughout the regions surrounding Constantinople, Pera and Galata, a part of the dogal republic that had been granted by the Byzantine Empire to Genoa in 1273. He conducted his investigations under the protection of the Byzantine podestà during the period of the joint Byzantine and Italian podestà, prior to the capture of Constantinople in 1453 by Ottoman Turks.In 1614 Isaac Casaubon, a Swiss philologist, analyzed the Hermetic texts for linguistic style. He concluded that the Hermetic writings attributed to Trismegistus were not the work of an ancient Egyptian priest, but in fact dated to around the second and third centuries of the Common Era.[13][14] Walter Scott places their date shortly after 200 CE , while Sir W. Flinders Petrie places them between 200 and 500 B.C.[15] Plutarch's mention of Hermes Trismegistus dates back to the first century CE, and Tertullian, Iamblichus, and Porphyry are all familiar with Hermetic writings.[16]In 1945, Hermetic writings were among those found near Nag Hammadi, in the form of one of the conversations between Hermes and Asclepius from the Corpus Hermeticum, and a text about the Hermetic mystery schools, On the Ogdoad and Ennead, written in the Coptic language, the last form in which the Egyptian language was written.[17][edit]Hermeticism as a religionTobias Churton, scholar of obscure religious movements, states that "the Hermetic tradition was both moderate and flexible, offering a tolerant philosophical religion, a religion of the (omnipresent) mind, a purified perception of God, the cosmos, and the self, and much positive encouragement for the spiritual seeker, all of which the student could take anywhere".[18] In fact, Lutheran Bishop James Heiser recently evaluated the writings of Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola as an attempted "Hermetic Reformation."[19][edit]Religious and philosophical textsThough many more have been falsely attributed to the work of Hermes Trismegistus, Hermeticists commonly accept there to have been forty-two books to his credit. However, most of these books are reported to have been destroyed when the Great Library of Alexandria was razed.There are three major works which are widely known texts for Hermetic beliefs:The Corpus Hermeticum is the body of work most widely known and is the aforementioned Greek texts. These eighteen books are set up as dialogues between Hermes and a series of others. The first book involves a discussion between Poimandres (also known as Nous and God) and Hermes, supposedly resulting from a meditative state, and is the first time that Hermes is in contact with God. Poimandres teaches the secrets of the Universe to Hermes, and later books are generally of Hermes teaching others such as Asclepius and his son Tat.The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus is a short work which coins the well known term in occult circles "As above, so below." The actual text of that maxim, as translated by Dennis W. Hauck is "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".[20] The tablet also refers to the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe. Hermes claims his knowledge of these three parts is why he received the name Trismegistus (thrice-great, or Ao-Ao-Ao meaning "greatest"). As the story is told, this tablet was found by Alexander the Great at Hebron supposedly in the tomb of Hermes.[21]The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy is a book published in 1912 CE anonymously by three people calling themselves the "Three Initiates." Many of the Hermetic principles are explained in the book.There are additional works that, while not as well known as the three mentioned above, have an important place in Hermeticism and its study.A Suggestive Inquiry into Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy written by Mary Anne Atwood, and originally published anonymously in 1850. This book was withdrawn from circulation by the author but was later reprinted after her death by her longtime friend Isabelle de Steiger. Isabelle de Steiger was a member of the Golden Dawn, and this book was used as the basis for the study of Hermeticism by the Golden Dawn, which resulted in several published works by members of the Golden Dawn.[22]Arthur Edward Waite, member and later head of the Golden Dawn, wrote the Hermetic Museum and later the Hermetic Museum Restored and Enlarged and did the editing for Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus that was published as a two-volume set. Arthur Edward Waite considered himself an Hermeticist and was instrumental in adding the word "Hermetic" to the official title of the Golden Dawn.[23]W. Wynn Westcott, a founding member of the Golden Dawn, edited a series of books on Hermeticism called the "Collectanea Hermetica," published by the Theosophical Publishing Society.[24][edit]Why Thrice Great?[edit]The "Prisca Theologia"Many Christian writers, including Lactantius, Augustine, Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Campanella and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity.[25][26] They believed in a prisca theologia, the doctrine that a single, true, theology exists, which threads through all religions, and which was given by god to man in antiquity.[27][28] In order to demonstrate the verity of the 'prisca theologia' Christians appropriated the Hermetic teachings for their own purposes. By this account Hermes Trismegistus was either, according to the fathers of the Christian church, a contemporary of Moses[29] or the third in a line of men named Hermes i.e. Enoch, Noah and the Egyptian priest king who is known to us as Hermes Trismegistus[30] or thrice great on account of being the greatest priest, philosopher and king.[30][31]This last account of how Hermes Trismegistus received the name "Trismegistus," meaning "Thrice Great," is derived from statements both in the The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, that he knows the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe.[32] The three parts of the wisdom are alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. The pymander, from where Marsilio Ficino formed his opinion, states that "they called him Trismegistus because he was the greatest philosopher and the greatest priest and the greatest king".[33]Another explanation, in the Suda (10th century), is that "He was called Trismegistus on account of his praise of the trinity, saying there is one divine nature in the trinity".[34][edit]The three parts of the wisdom of the whole universeAlchemy—The Operation of the Sun: is not simply the changing of physical lead into physical gold.[35] It is an investigation into the spiritual constitution, or life of matter and material existence through an application of the mysteries of birth, death and resurrection.[36] The various stages of chemical distillation and fermentation, among them, are aspects of these mysteries, that, when applied quicken Nature's processes in order to bring a natural body to perfection.[37] This perfection is the accomplishment of the Magnum opus (Latin for Great Work).Astrology—The Operation of the Moon: Hermes claims that Zoroaster discovered this part of the wisdom of the whole universe, astrology, and taught it to man.[38] In Hermetic thought, it is likely that the movements of the planets have meaning beyond the laws of physics and actually hold metaphorical value as symbols in the mind of The All, or God. Astrology has influences upon the Earth, but does not dictate our actions, and wisdom is gained when we know what these influences are and how to deal with them.Theurgy—The Operation of the Stars: There are two different types of magic, according to Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Apology, completely opposite of each other. The first is ???te?a, Goëtia, black magic reliant upon an alliance with evil spirits (i.e. demons). The second is Theurgy, divine magic reliant upon an alliance with divine spirits (i.e. angels, archangels, gods).[39]Theurgy translates to "The Science or art of Divine Works" and is the practical aspect of the Hermetic art of alchemy.[40] Furthermore, alchemy is seen as the "key" to theurgy,[41] the ultimate goal of which is to become united with higher counterparts, leading to the attainment of Divine Consciousness.[40][edit]Hermetic beliefsAnd here we are full circle...
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs[1] based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. These beliefs have heavily influenced the Western Esoteric Tradition and were considered to be of great importance during the Renaissance[2] and Reformation.
The term Hermetic is from medieval Latin hermeticus, which in turn is derived from the name of the Greek god Hermes. It is attested in English since the 17th century as the adjective Hermetic (as in "Hermetic writers" e.g. Franz Bardon). The synonymous Hermetical also occurs in the 17th century. Sir Thomas Browne in his Religio Medici of 1643 wrote, "Now besides these particular and divided Spirits there may be (for ought I know) a universal and common Spirit to the whole world. It was the opinion of Plato , and is yet of the Hermeticall Philosophers." (R.M. Part 1:32)The term Hermetic is from the Greek word Herm, which refers to a pillar or post used in pre-classical Greece "of square shape, surmounted by a head with a beard. The square, limbless "Hermes" was a step in advance of the unwrought stone."[4] The origin of the word Hermes relates to a stone pillar used to communicate with the deities and the use of names beginning with Herm in Greece dates from at least 600 BCE. The God Hermes is a generic term used by the pre-classical Greeks for any deity, and was only later associated with the God of Knowledge in Athens in the 2nd Century CE.[5] The word Hermetic was used by Dr. Everard, 1650 in the English translation of The Pimander of Hermes.[6] Mary Anne Atwood mentioned the use of the word Hermetic by Dufresnoy in 1386.
Further information: Hellenistic religion and Decline of Hellenistic polytheismIn Late Antiquity, Hermetism[9] emerged in parallel with Gnosticism, Neoplatonism and early Christianity, "characterized by a resistance to the dominance of either pure rationality or doctrinal faith".[10]The books now known as the Corpus Hermeticum were part of a renaissance of syncretistic and intellectualized pagan thought that took place around the 2nd century. Other examples of this cultural movement would include Neoplatonist philosophy, the Chaldaean Oracles, late Orphic and Pythagorean literature, as well as much of Gnosticism.The extant Greek texts dwell upon the oneness and goodness of God, urge purification of the soul, and defend pagan religious practices, such as the veneration of images. Many lost Greek texts, and many of the surviving vulgate books, contained discussions of alchemy clothed in philosophical metaphor.[citation needed] And one text, the Asclepius, lost in Greek but partially preserved in Latin, contained a bloody prophecy of the end of Roman rule in Egypt and the resurgence of pagan Egyptian power.The predominant literary form is the dialogue: Hermes Trismegistus instructs a perplexed disciple on some point of hidden wisdom.[edit]RenaissanceAfter some centuries out of favor, Hermeticism was reintroduced to the West in 1460, when the monk Leonardo da Pistoia[11] brought the Corpus Hermeticum to Pistoia. In fact Leonardo da Pistoia (monk) was the pseudonym of Leonardo Alberti de Candia, a noble of the Alberti (family) of the counts of Prato in Pistoia. He was one of the many agents sent out by Florence's ruler, Cosimo de'Medici, to scour European monasteries for lost ancient writings.[12]Leonardo, searched for the ancient Hermetic manuscripts throughout the regions surrounding Constantinople, Pera and Galata, a part of the dogal republic that had been granted by the Byzantine Empire to Genoa in 1273. He conducted his investigations under the protection of the Byzantine podestà during the period of the joint Byzantine and Italian podestà, prior to the capture of Constantinople in 1453 by Ottoman Turks.In 1614 Isaac Casaubon, a Swiss philologist, analyzed the Hermetic texts for linguistic style. He concluded that the Hermetic writings attributed to Trismegistus were not the work of an ancient Egyptian priest, but in fact dated to around the second and third centuries of the Common Era.[13][14] Walter Scott places their date shortly after 200 CE , while Sir W. Flinders Petrie places them between 200 and 500 B.C.[15] Plutarch's mention of Hermes Trismegistus dates back to the first century CE, and Tertullian, Iamblichus, and Porphyry are all familiar with Hermetic writings.[16]In 1945, Hermetic writings were among those found near Nag Hammadi, in the form of one of the conversations between Hermes and Asclepius from the Corpus Hermeticum, and a text about the Hermetic mystery schools, On the Ogdoad and Ennead, written in the Coptic language, the last form in which the Egyptian language was written.[17][edit]Hermeticism as a religionTobias Churton, scholar of obscure religious movements, states that "the Hermetic tradition was both moderate and flexible, offering a tolerant philosophical religion, a religion of the (omnipresent) mind, a purified perception of God, the cosmos, and the self, and much positive encouragement for the spiritual seeker, all of which the student could take anywhere".[18] In fact, Lutheran Bishop James Heiser recently evaluated the writings of Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola as an attempted "Hermetic Reformation."[19][edit]Religious and philosophical textsThough many more have been falsely attributed to the work of Hermes Trismegistus, Hermeticists commonly accept there to have been forty-two books to his credit. However, most of these books are reported to have been destroyed when the Great Library of Alexandria was razed.There are three major works which are widely known texts for Hermetic beliefs:The Corpus Hermeticum is the body of work most widely known and is the aforementioned Greek texts. These eighteen books are set up as dialogues between Hermes and a series of others. The first book involves a discussion between Poimandres (also known as Nous and God) and Hermes, supposedly resulting from a meditative state, and is the first time that Hermes is in contact with God. Poimandres teaches the secrets of the Universe to Hermes, and later books are generally of Hermes teaching others such as Asclepius and his son Tat.The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus is a short work which coins the well known term in occult circles "As above, so below." The actual text of that maxim, as translated by Dennis W. Hauck is "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".[20] The tablet also refers to the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe. Hermes claims his knowledge of these three parts is why he received the name Trismegistus (thrice-great, or Ao-Ao-Ao meaning "greatest"). As the story is told, this tablet was found by Alexander the Great at Hebron supposedly in the tomb of Hermes.[21]The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy is a book published in 1912 CE anonymously by three people calling themselves the "Three Initiates." Many of the Hermetic principles are explained in the book.There are additional works that, while not as well known as the three mentioned above, have an important place in Hermeticism and its study.A Suggestive Inquiry into Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy written by Mary Anne Atwood, and originally published anonymously in 1850. This book was withdrawn from circulation by the author but was later reprinted after her death by her longtime friend Isabelle de Steiger. Isabelle de Steiger was a member of the Golden Dawn, and this book was used as the basis for the study of Hermeticism by the Golden Dawn, which resulted in several published works by members of the Golden Dawn.[22]Arthur Edward Waite, member and later head of the Golden Dawn, wrote the Hermetic Museum and later the Hermetic Museum Restored and Enlarged and did the editing for Hermetic and Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus that was published as a two-volume set. Arthur Edward Waite considered himself an Hermeticist and was instrumental in adding the word "Hermetic" to the official title of the Golden Dawn.[23]W. Wynn Westcott, a founding member of the Golden Dawn, edited a series of books on Hermeticism called the "Collectanea Hermetica," published by the Theosophical Publishing Society.[24][edit]Why Thrice Great?[edit]The "Prisca Theologia"Many Christian writers, including Lactantius, Augustine, Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Campanella and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity.[25][26] They believed in a prisca theologia, the doctrine that a single, true, theology exists, which threads through all religions, and which was given by god to man in antiquity.[27][28] In order to demonstrate the verity of the 'prisca theologia' Christians appropriated the Hermetic teachings for their own purposes. By this account Hermes Trismegistus was either, according to the fathers of the Christian church, a contemporary of Moses[29] or the third in a line of men named Hermes i.e. Enoch, Noah and the Egyptian priest king who is known to us as Hermes Trismegistus[30] or thrice great on account of being the greatest priest, philosopher and king.[30][31]This last account of how Hermes Trismegistus received the name "Trismegistus," meaning "Thrice Great," is derived from statements both in the The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, that he knows the three parts of the wisdom of the whole universe.[32] The three parts of the wisdom are alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. The pymander, from where Marsilio Ficino formed his opinion, states that "they called him Trismegistus because he was the greatest philosopher and the greatest priest and the greatest king".[33]Another explanation, in the Suda (10th century), is that "He was called Trismegistus on account of his praise of the trinity, saying there is one divine nature in the trinity".[34][edit]The three parts of the wisdom of the whole universeAlchemy—The Operation of the Sun: is not simply the changing of physical lead into physical gold.[35] It is an investigation into the spiritual constitution, or life of matter and material existence through an application of the mysteries of birth, death and resurrection.[36] The various stages of chemical distillation and fermentation, among them, are aspects of these mysteries, that, when applied quicken Nature's processes in order to bring a natural body to perfection.[37] This perfection is the accomplishment of the Magnum opus (Latin for Great Work).Astrology—The Operation of the Moon: Hermes claims that Zoroaster discovered this part of the wisdom of the whole universe, astrology, and taught it to man.[38] In Hermetic thought, it is likely that the movements of the planets have meaning beyond the laws of physics and actually hold metaphorical value as symbols in the mind of The All, or God. Astrology has influences upon the Earth, but does not dictate our actions, and wisdom is gained when we know what these influences are and how to deal with them.Theurgy—The Operation of the Stars: There are two different types of magic, according to Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Apology, completely opposite of each other. The first is ???te?a, Goëtia, black magic reliant upon an alliance with evil spirits (i.e. demons). The second is Theurgy, divine magic reliant upon an alliance with divine spirits (i.e. angels, archangels, gods).[39]Theurgy translates to "The Science or art of Divine Works" and is the practical aspect of the Hermetic art of alchemy.[40] Furthermore, alchemy is seen as the "key" to theurgy,[41] the ultimate goal of which is to become united with higher counterparts, leading to the attainment of Divine Consciousness.[40][edit]Hermetic beliefsAnd here we are full circle...
“Close your eyes and let the mind expand. Let no fear of death or darkness arrest its course. Allow the mind to merge with Mind. Let it flow out upon the great curve of consciousness. Let it soar on the wings of the great bird of duration, up to the very Circle of Eternity.”
HERMES TRISMAGISTUS
HERMES TRISMAGISTUS
The point about Hermes is that he's complicated. Disturbingly so. Is he a god, a historic figure, Egyptian, Greek, is he (as Jung might put it) an archetype, is he the figurehead of an ancient religion, a humanist philosopher, a figment of the arcane imagination, or a compound of all, or some, of the above?
The ancient Egyptians knew him as Thoth, the ibis headed god of communications and judgement who, along with fellow psychopomp Horus, conducted the dead into the underworld. Then there's Imhotep, a remarkably accomplished figure from Egyptian history, who was deified a couple of thousand years after his death and absorbed into the Thoth identity. The Jewish prophet Enoch shares many of Thoth’s attributes and is regarded as a Hebrew equivalent; and to complicate matters further the Islamic prophet Idris also fits the profile and the Romans had a 'me too' (syncretized) god called Mercury.
The Greeks, who were very much in awe of Egyptian civilisation and culture, developed a god with similar attributes calling him Hermes and honouring him with him the title 'Trismagistus' (thrice great*). They also had another god of healing 'Ascleptius' who also carried a serpent entwined wand. The Roman equivalent Mercury (ter Maximus); but as a result of Christianisation of the Roman Empire, found himself disenfranchised. Then at some stage in the 'dark ages' a cultural guillotine dropped separating the Greeks from the Egyptians; and their massive influence on Greco Roman culture was largely forgotten until the European enlightenment of the 18th century. So it's the Greek name Hermes that stuck not the Egyptian Thoth or Roman Mercury. So for Hermes from now on read also Thoth/Imhotep/Mercury/Ascleptius. So, yes, definitely complicated.
Be he a god, an archetype, or an historical figure it makes no real difference. Suspend disbelief. Refer to Hermes, not as a personification of an ideal or a peg to hang a philosophy on, but as an astounding individual with whom you can develop a personal relationship. Make a friend of Hermes. He'll test you, he'll tease you but he'll always be on your side. And he has also left you two astonishing presents.
The first gift is the fabled Emerald Tablet; nothing less than the secret of the universe zipped up into an incredibly compact format. And the second is a collection of writings which miraculously escaped the Christian mob's pillaging and burning of the Great Library of Alexandria. Known as the Hermetica these volumes elaborate and expound the cryptic text of the Tablet. Between them the Emerald Tablet and the Hermetica tell us everything we have ever wanted to know about life, death and what lays beyond. Incredibly they also provide the resources and potential to massively improve your material wealth in this world and enhance your standing in the next.
The underlying message that comes down from Hermes espouses a direct and personal relationship with the divine. This positions the doctrine in direct conflict with established religions promoting, as they do, an anthropomorphic deity which can only be accessed through their offices. It'll come as no surprise, therefore, that holders of the 'God franchise' drove the Emerald Tablet and the Hermetica underground; persecuting its adherents and discrediting its authenticity. Ironically this antagonism worked very much in Hermes favour (one might almost think he planned it).
Where the radical, compassionate and challenging message of Yoshua (Jesus) has been diluted, distorted and subsumed by Roman vested interests the 'hidden' knowledge presented by Hermes arrives in the 21st century largely intact. And the draconian penalties for propagating this knowledge have had other unexpected benefits [1] emphasising its supreme value (men were willing to die rather than deny its Truth) and [2] stimulating the creation of a unique, powerful, visually and intellectually appealing body of magical and philosophical literature aimed at the transmission of 'forbidden' hermetic knowledge through cypher and allegory.
Hermes' essentially pantheistic** message is absolutely in accord with the growing ecological awareness of our age. And if there was ever a time for Hermes to reemerge from the shadows it is now. Let's hope he heeds our call; it won't be a moment too soon.
The final word goes to Hermes:
"From one Soul of the Universe are all Souls derived. . .Of these Souls there are many changes, some into a more fortunate estate, and some quite contrary. . .Not all human souls but only the pious ones are divine...
"Once separated from the body, and after the struggle to acquire piety, which consists in knowing God and injuring none, such a soul becomes all intelligence. The impious soul, however, punishes itself by seeking a human body to enter into, for no other body can receive a human soul it cannot enter the body of an animal devoid of reason. Divine law preserves the human soul from such infamy...
"The soul passeth from form to form and the mansions of her pilgrimage are manifold. Thou puttest off thy bodies as raiment and as vesture dost thou fold them up. Thou art from old, O Soul of Man yea, thou art from everlasting."
As above so below...
*There is much conjecture as to what the title Trimagistus (Thrice Great) refers. Is it that Hermes represents three deities (Thoth, Hermes, Mercury) or as some 'esoterists' would have it that there were three manifestations of Hermes - Imhotep, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) and Balinas (Apollonious of Tyana) in a manner not unlike the various incarnations of the Buddha. Or maybe it refers to the alchemical trilogy of Sulphur, Mercury and Salt.
** God is everything and everything is God; the world is either identical with God or in some way a self-expression of his nature.
Hermes Trismegistus. Mosaics on the floor of the Cathedral of Siena, 1480.
Signatures on a mosaic: the bottom: "Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, contemporary of Moses." On the left pages of the book: "Take the letters and the laws of the Egyptians." Right on the stove, which kept a sphinx: "God, the creator of all things, with God himself created the visible and created the first and only person who was glad, and very loved his own son, who is called the Holy Word." The Cathedral of Siena (Italian: Duomo di Siena), dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta (Most Holy Mary of Assumption), is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy. The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius. The origins of the first structure are obscure and shrouded in legend. There was a 9th century church with bishop's palace at the present location. In December 1058 a synod was held in this church resulting in the election of pope Nicholas II and the deposition of the antipope Benedict X. |
"Close your eyes and let the mind expand. Let no fear of death or darkness arrest its course. Allow the mind to merge with Mind. Let it flow out upon the great curve of consciousness. Let it soar on the wings of the great bird of duration, up to the very Circle of Eternity."
HERMES MERCURIUS TRISMEGISTUS |
There is surprisingly little, if any, evidence for the existence of Hermes. Which is astonishing because he is arguably the most influential figure in western history. But possibly understandable when you think of the confusion that shrouds the life of Jesus of Nazereth an mere 2,011 years on. This focusses us on what comprises a historical figure. That is someone you could shake hands with had you a time machine. Physical description. Name. Birth records. Writings he left behind. Writings of contempories. Philosophy. Historical impact. Imagery. Hold an identity parade for JC and you'd get nowhere. Devoted to a pareticular as aspect of the human psyche. Jung would term it an archetype.
The point that we can all agree on is that Hermes is complicated. Disturbingly so. He's like Doctor Who; popping up at whatever point in history he chooses and in a variety of physical incarnations. So far he's made appearances as a god, an extra-terrestrial visitor, an Egyptian polymath a pharaoh, a Greek or Roman myth, (as Jung might term) an archetype, the figurehead of an ancient religion, a humanist philosopher, a figment of the arcane imagination, a invention of Alexandrian scholars and sometimes a compound of all, or some, of the above.
Let's look at some of the claims that are made as to his identity.
The point that we can all agree on is that Hermes is complicated. Disturbingly so. He's like Doctor Who; popping up at whatever point in history he chooses and in a variety of physical incarnations. So far he's made appearances as a god, an extra-terrestrial visitor, an Egyptian polymath a pharaoh, a Greek or Roman myth, (as Jung might term) an archetype, the figurehead of an ancient religion, a humanist philosopher, a figment of the arcane imagination, a invention of Alexandrian scholars and sometimes a compound of all, or some, of the above.
Let's look at some of the claims that are made as to his identity.