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I’ve been getting more seriously into Western esotericism lately, and one thing I keep noticing is how broadly the word “Hermetic” gets used.
As I’ve been reading the older Hermetic material, I keep seeing the same themes come up: God and the divine, Nous or divine mind, the nature of the cosmos, spiritual rebirth, and humanity’s place within the cosmos.
But when I look at later Western occultism, “Hermetic” seems to cover a much wider range of things, including astrology, alchemy, Neoplatonism, Qabalah, ritual magic, and Renaissance occult philosophy.
So where do you personally draw the line between historical Hermeticism and the broader Hermetic occult tradition? At what point are we dealing with something influenced by Hermeticism rather than Hermeticism itself?
I’m still working through this material, so I’d be interested in hearing how people here understand the distinction and which primary sources or scholars helped clarify it for you.
As I’ve been reading the older Hermetic material, I keep seeing the same themes come up: God and the divine, Nous or divine mind, the nature of the cosmos, spiritual rebirth, and humanity’s place within the cosmos.
But when I look at later Western occultism, “Hermetic” seems to cover a much wider range of things, including astrology, alchemy, Neoplatonism, Qabalah, ritual magic, and Renaissance occult philosophy.
So where do you personally draw the line between historical Hermeticism and the broader Hermetic occult tradition? At what point are we dealing with something influenced by Hermeticism rather than Hermeticism itself?
I’m still working through this material, so I’d be interested in hearing how people here understand the distinction and which primary sources or scholars helped clarify it for you.