What is Hermeticism REALLY about?

hermeticism is an ancient spiritual philosophical and magical tradition it's Rich complex and an extraordinary amalgam of many different ideas the scope of hermeticism is so massive that you'll find people saying things like I've studied it for nearly 20 years and I would need another 20 just to scratch the surface all this can make hermeticism an intimidating topic to approach and in fact a lot of the resources explaining hermeticism online while informative can be very confusing and complex so in this video I'm going to try to simplify hermeticism as much as possible and cover everything you

need to know here's hermeticism in a nutshell but before we go on please subscribe to our channel so you can stay updated with all our latest content and join our Vibrant Community origins of hermeticism hermeticism originated sometime inate late Antiquity which covers the period between the 3rd to the 8th centuries ad about the same time as early Christianity and several other doctrines that focused on mysticism this was a time of cultural cross-pollination after Alexander the Great's conquests Greek thought mingled with the ancient wisdom of Egypt and the Middle East leading to a fertile period of

philosophical and spiritual exploration this era known as helenistic Egypt was marked by a blending of Greek and Egyptian religious and philosophical traditions hermeticism is one of the results of this blending quite literally if you merge the Greek God Hermes with the Egyptian god both you get the central Sage of hermeticism Hermes trism magistus but who exactly is he the name Hermes trism magistus means Thrice greatest Hermes because he's supposed to have Mastery over three areas of wisdom Alchemy astrology and thgy but more on that later most Scholars agree that trism magistus wasn't a real person

but instead a fiction created by merging the deities Hermes and tho both these deities had similar roles in their respective cultures both were divine Messengers psychop pumps scribes and custodians of wisdom so why combine them why blend two Gods from two different religions Scholars argue that by combining in the attributes of Hermes and tho into a single figure Hermes Tris magistus became a powerful symbol of universal wisdom and the esoteric knowledge that hermeticism sought to understand and teach at the heart of hermeticism Lies the collection of texts known as the hermetica said to be written

by Hermes trism magistus these texts were written in Greek and Latin between the 1st and 3rd centuries ad these included the 17 treatises of the corpus hermeticum the Emerald Tablet and the perfect discourse which formed the Bedrock of hermetic thought this brings us to the cabalion a modern work published in 1908 by three individuals who identified themselves as the three initiates the cabalan is a modern interpretation of hermetic philosophy and not part of the traditional hermetic Corpus it distills hermetic philosophy and claims to outline its principles clearly it's in the cabalan that we find the

seven principles of hermeticism which the three authors claim are the essence of hermetic teachings number one the principle of mentalism the all is mind the universe is mental this principle suggests that everything that happens in the universe is a result of a mental state a Conscious Creation of the Mind reality is therefore a manifestation of thought or the mind this reminds us of the Buddhists saying we are what we think all all that we are arises with our thoughts with our thoughts we make the world this hermetic principle emphasizes that reality is a mental construct

and that by controlling our mind we can control Our Lives number two the principle of Correspondence As Above So Below as below so above we've all heard this quote before there's even a movie with this title what it means is that there is a Harmony agreement and correspondence between the physical mental and spiritual Realms the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm and vice versa so what does it mean practically well it can encourage a person to see the interconnectedness of all things and understand that patterns in their own life may reflect larger Universal patterns number

three the principle of vibration nothing rests everything moves everything vibrates this principle posits that motion is Manifest in everything in the universe nothing is at rest everything moves vibrates and is in a state of constant motion or change by understanding the different frequencies of vibration we can use this to create our reality number four the principle of polarity everything is dual everything has poles everything has its pair of opposites this principle much like the confusion yin-yang suggests that opposite opposites are the same in nature but different in degree in other words opposites are actually two

extremes of the same Continuum what is Darkness but the absence of light what is quietness but the absence of noise all truths are but half truths and every truth is half false by understanding the law of polarity we can focus on the positive instead of the negative we can manage conflicts and opposing viewpoints to find balance number five the principle of Rhythm everything flows out and in everything has its ties this principle explains that there is a flow or Tide to everything in the universe and that this rhythm is evident in the rise and fall

the cycles and patterns of life and existence understanding this helps you to cope with change and that nothing is permanent no matter how difficult this too shall pass number six the principle of cause and effect every cause has its effect every effect has its cause this principle suggests that there is no such thing as chance that chance is merely a term for a law not recognized or understood it encourages you to anticipate the consequences of your actions and to take responsibility for how your actions impact the world number seven the principle of gender gender isn't

everything everything has its masculine and feminine principles gender exists on all planes of existence be it physical mental and spiritual and represents the masculine and feminine principles in the universe the unity of these two energies is at the heart of creation and when you have the balance of both you're better able to apply all the other principles we can all agree that these principles are quite Universal and whether you follow the Hermetic tradition or not there's something for everyone here okay so remember when we mentioned that the name Hermes Tris magistus meant thrice's greatest Hermes

because he has Mastery over three areas of wisdom Alchemy astrology and thorgy these three areas are encompassed within hermeticism historical Alchemy had a practical component and wasn't purely metaphorical or spiritual hermetic Alchemy however goes beyond this it it isn't just about the transmutation of Base Metals into gold but serves as a metaphor for Spiritual Enlightenment and the inner transformation of the soul the soul moves from a state of imperfection to one of perfection and Purity astrology shares the Hermetic principle that the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm hermetic astrology involves understanding the influences of stars

and planets on human Affairs and the natural world positing that celestial events reflect or even influence events on Earth thgy is about rituals designed to invoke the presence of gods or Divine energies aimed at uniting the practitioner with the Divine but beyond these three Traditions hermeticism also syncretized ideas and practices from other spiritual and philosophical traditions hermeticism might not be a mainstream spiritual path but it has maintained a following and has had various revivals over the centuries during the Renaissance there was a significant Revival of interest in hermeticism among intellectuals the Hermetic texts particularly the

Corpus hermeticum translated by marcelio ficino in the 15th century provided a rich source of spiritual and philosophical inspiration this influence can be found on Art philosophy literature and science for example some of Shakespeare's works are said to contain hermetic influences the line all the world's estage Echoes the Hermetic principle of Life as a Divine Play or Illusion was Shakespeare a secret hermetic or are the Hermetic principles so broad that you can't help but find Echoes of them in the Universal human themes of his works you'll find Arguments for both sides Isaac Newton was said to

be deeply interested in alchemy and the Hermetic tradition the Hermetic principle that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm may have inspired thinkers like him to believe that by studying the natural world one could gain insight into the divine order of the universe even during the enlight Enlightenment with its emphasis on rational thought and empirical science which might seem at odds with the mystical aspects of hermeticism the Hermetic tradition continued to hold strong hermeticism endures today primarily within esoteric occult and New Age circles where its principles are applied to personal spiritual growth mental Mastery and the understanding

of the universe while it does not have large numbers of adherence that mainstream religions do her medicis M's influence can be seen in contemporary spiritual practices self-help literature and the Arts its Legacy is also preserved and examined in academic fields and online communities which reflects an ongoing interest in its teachings about the mental nature of the universe the interconnectivity of all things and the pursuit of knowledge and self- transformation despite the Arcane language and complex symbolism hermeticism at its core is about the search for knowledge this knowledge is not just intellectual but experiential involving the

transformation of the Seeker by understanding the laws of nature a hermetic practitioner can live in harmony with them they pursue nosis direct knowledge of the Divine not through faith alone but through direct experience hermeticism teaches that while we may perceive separation all is ultimately one we are all Sparks of the Divine and by realizing this we can transcend the limitations of our Earthly existence if you found this video informative please like it and subscribe to our Channel it helps our Channel grow so we can continue making more videos like this thanks for watching