A Summary of the Metaphysical Nature of Hermetic Philosophy Nathan Lannholm Phil-1000-005 7-3-2010

The Hermetic Philosophy shares many similarities w/ many of the worlds philosophies. The texts available to us cannot be verified to be older than originating around the 3rd-4th century BCE to the 1st century CE yet they have been attributed to have originated from much older sources that cannot be verified. Also there have been between 42 and 10000 books attributed to have been authored by Hermes, most likely the 10000 number is more symbolical than anything and its possible there were 42 books at one time but this number could also be symbolical. Many of the Hermetic books are said to have been lost when the Library of Alexandria was destroyed, and rumored to have been hidden away in the deserts unknown to have survived. The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus is an allegorical philosophy in this Hermetic text is shared the Vision of Hermes while meditating on the World Mystery. The Hermetic philosophy is highly metaphysical as shown in The Vision that shares the Nature of God, the creation and Nature of the Universe, the nature of Man and how Man can return Home. The Hermetic Philosophy teaches a monotheistic type of God and can be considered a Pantheistic Monotheism. God is the first causeless cause that can never be fully understood by Mortal man. God is The Universal Mind or consciousness and is formless. The Universal Mind is the Father of All, the absolute Wisdom and the Mind of the Universe. The Mind is composed of the Light which is the spiritual nature of the Mind, the Life, and is the Supreme Being both male and female. The will of Mind comes from Himself and all things flow from the Universal Mind. The Mind is the Source that created Nature because all things come from Source Mind. The Universal Mind is the Creative Intelligence within Nature, and the image of God is seen in all Nature. All knowledge comes from Divine Mind that can be used to help or harm.

"The Universe is Mental--held in the Mind of THE

ALL."--The Kybalion.

Hermes is shown how Mind created the Universe. Out of the Mind came a thought being the Word or the Son of God. Truth comes from the spiritual Word called Reason and divides Light or spirit from darkness or material in the dual nature of creation. The mystery of Life is produced from the Union of Word and Mind. The creation is dual both spiritual and material and Nature is ordered as it is intelligently designed by the Word of the Mind w/ everything born of and containing the four elements. These four elements are symbolic represented by Fire, Air, Water, Earth; these four elements are not the literal forms of their names as are mundanely known. The material Nature is said to be divided against itself both outside and internal of Man. I perceive this as displaying separateness and individuality thus in constant conflict w/ itself. Animals were created from the unreasoning elements and thus are not able to Reason as Man. There are seven governors each w/ their own spirit and control the Earth by their power called Destiny symbolized by the seven visible planets of antiquity. Because the Universal Mind created the Universe it is also viewed as being a Mental Universe as if we are living w/in the Mind of God and the Mind of God is w/in the Universe as Nature is the form of formless Mind. In the Vision Hermes is shown that Man was created in the spiritual image of God. The fall of Man is shown when Man saw his reflection or shadow self in the material world and desired to enter the material world. The physical finite material world is taught as being an illusion synonymous w/ suffering and when Man fell he left his true home. Mortal man is dual in nature as a combination of Divine spirit and Mortal material. His Divine Mind being Immortal and Reason from the Word of God in Man or higher self is dormant. The second part Mans conscious Mortal unreasoning animal nature or lower self that is in constant internal conflict and destructible. This dual nature in Mortal man cannot be divided by ignorance only awareness. This is reminiscent of the werewolf allegory of man and his bestial nature when he

becomes the werewolf. Immortal Man is a hermaphrodite and has the powers of Life, Light, the Word, and the Seven Governors because hes created in the spiritual image of Universal Mind. Mortal man is male or female and is controlled by the Governors through Destiny or Fate. Hermetic philosophy teaches reincarnation as the price paid wandering in the ignorance of darkness and until we realize our true Immortal self we will keep incarnating into the mortal cycle of birth, suffering, and death unable to return to Mans Real home. We are kept in the illusion by being ignorant to our internal Immortal true self. The body is viewed as a prison through our attachment to our bodily senses seen as evil to the Enlightened that must be controlled rather than be controlled by. The body and materialism is seen as superior to the ignorant Mortal which suffers as a result of attachment to material things and the bodily senses. The Soul w/in man is here to make its way back to return to Reality of Life and Light by learning and understanding the nature of transcendental Life and Light ending the cycle of reincarnation. This is done w/ the power of the Mind in Man by dividing the Immortal true Divine self from the Mortal false animal self and becoming a servant of a transcendental Reality in the Light of Universal Mind. Man can unite w/ the Divine Mind, the Immortal spark of God through some form of silent meditation that stimulates various parts of the human brain. Because the bodily senses are the prison of the higher consciousness w/in man, meditation would focus on depriving the senses and going internally where the Light of Mind is said to be sleeping in man and can release ones Divine internal nature. Through meditation and connecting w/ the Immortal self inside the individual opens up His personal connection w/ the Universal Mind. Mind has to be welcome and comes to those who are holy, good, pure, merciful, religious, and live piously. Inspiration comes from the presence of Mind and allows for internal knowledge to come from within. Once this connection is established Mind protects man from his lower, evil, animal nature. Mind is unwelcome to the wicked, envious, and covetous leaving them to their own internal demons

they are creating w/in themselves ignorant to the fact they create their own torment and self destruction. The Reason w/in ones higher self redeems Man from his own self destruction of his lower self. The Hermetic Philosophy has many similarities to other philosophies and religions. Its Christian similarities are very noticeable such as the Word of God to Christianity is equated to Jesus Christ. Thomas Aquinas Four Proofs of Gods Existence all fit w/ the Hermetic God. The Vision of Creation is very similar to the Abrahamic story and reason some have drawn some sort of relation between Abraham and Hermes. Hermetic Philosophy is considered synonymous w/ Jewish Kabbalah. We see Asian influences such as Buddhist philosophy intermixed as well w/ reincarnation and the freeing the true self from the bondage of the body through a conscious way of life and meditation. Its not uncommon to hear people attribute Hermetic Philosophy to the sciences and the Renaissance Age and believed that many prominent figures in history were Hermetists such as Leonardo Divinci, John Dee, and Francis Bacon. Not only is this the same God of Socrates philosophy also the attributed Know Thyself is very relevant to Hermetics as how can one trying to divide his Immortal from his mortal self do so without knowing himself? Rene Descartes has some similarities to some Hermetic ways with his belief in the Spark of God w/ in man and turning off his bodily senses to look inward to his mental self questioning the physical world as possibly being illusion. Stoic philosophy has many similarities and these philosophies originate around similar times they almost look identical in many areas. Hermetic philosophy has broadened my love of philosophy deeper than ever.

Sources The Divine Pymander, by Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, tr. by John Everard, [1650], at sacred-texts.com Second Book, Called, Poemander http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/pym/pym03.htm

Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages Readers Edition. New York: Penguin Group, 2003